Elysion's Journey Book 2

by PrincessCrystalSelene

They seccond book in it's series about Elysion, daughter to Chibiusa and Helios in the future. enjoy!!

Elysion's Journey Book 2:
Every Cloud Has A Golden Lining
By: PrincessCrystalSelene

Hi again, everyone! This is the second book in the Elysion's Journey series, Every Cloud Has A Golden Lining! I hope every one enjoys it as much as the first one, I hope it is more interesting and doesn't take as long! Like before, it is very confusing if you haven't seen "Sailor Moon Super S," and read the mangas(it's an anime/manga crossover) and have a knowlage of the Japanese equivalents of names. A small note: the crystal clarion is called many different things, and the attack she uses is called a bunch of different things, I say "Crystal Twinkle Bell." This is pretty confusing, you're saying if you didn't read the other story (Elysion's Journey Book 1 Golden Vows Left Unbroken). So, I'm briefly telling you what happened before (Go back and read Elysion's Journey Book 1 Golden Vows Left Unbroken, it'll make it easier to understand) and I'm making a glossary in the end.
I suggest that you read the first book first, before this one, because it might be confusing if you don't. Basically, what happens is Princess Lady Serenity and Helios meet again in the future and are still in love.
How ever, they can both sense the evil Queen Nehalania gaining power for her return, to get revenge and finish what she started! But Helios takes Princess Lady Serenity to Elysion through a teleporting spot in a garden of the Crystal Palace.
She explains to him, and later to his council, about strange dreams she'd had about Queen Nehalania threatening Helios for the golden crystal on a moonless night, but when she called out to him, another girl with a nearly identical voice called Helios's name at the same time. When the dream first happened, Princess Lady Serenity couldn't see the girl.
But the second time she had the dream, Princess Lady Serenity turned around and saw a girl about 13 years old, thin, with golden hair loose to her waist and golden eyes like twin suns. The chosen maiden.
Helios told her that the chosen maiden had to be a descendent of some distant relative of his. The only possible explanation was that she would be Helios's daughter. But he didn't have a daughter.
Finally, they all agreed to protect Helios and Elysion with their lives. But they know that without the chosen maiden, there is no hope.
In the end, they just let the subject rest. And Princess Lady Serenity swears to Helios that they might not survive this war, but somewhere, some time, Queen Nehalania will be stopped, and the dreams of Earth's people will be safe. She doesn't know how right she is.
Then she and Helios agree that their love is stronger than this evil, and decide to go out on a date. Now 9 months have passed, and Princess Lady Serenity's big secret is out...Elysion's Journey Book 2: Every Cloud Has A Golden Lining.
***
Sailor Moon is not mine, for all of you out there who would like to sue me. Also, the lemure "Pakanuki-chan" is made up, but not mine. I got her out of someone else's fanfic, "Winged Romance" by Raven. Read it, it's an excellent fic, if you haven't already! The lemure "Pakanuki-chan" is from her fanfic, sorry I stole it (don't kill me Raven!), but I couldn't think of anything else!
***
This book is dedicated to my cousin Josh, who taught me to believe in destiny...
And to anyone out there with a special dream. Never give up on your dreams. Never.
***
Part6
"You know this is a really bad idea, Princess Lady Serenity. You could get hurt...Please slow down! At least wait for me!" Princess Saturn called to Princess Lady Serenity who was about 50 yards ahead (I don't know how many meters).
They were riding two of the palace horses on an impulsive pleasure ride through the country outside of Crystal Palace. For some reason, Princess Lady Serenity had stubbornly insisted on these rides every morning for the last eight months, regardless of the fact that she had to be very careful with her health.
With an impatient sigh she reined her horse, a gentle old white mare, from a canter to a trot, and finally to a walk. Princess Saturn easily caught up with her. She disapproved of the rides, but she knew her friend would go with or without her, so she came to keep an eye on her.
"Can we go yet, mother?" Princess Lady Serenity joked. She always thought her friend was too over protective, but she was happy that she had so many good friends that loved her so much.
"No. But I guess that means yes to you, so let's go, but slow, okay?" A smile spread over Princess Lady Serenity's face. Without another word, she kicked her horse into a gallop, and headed off towards the woods. "NO!" screamed Princess Saturn, but it was too late.
She cursed to herself as she urged the bay gelding she was riding to follow swiftly. Princess Lady Serenity loved danger, but Princess Saturn knew one day she'd learn her lesson the hard way.
They nearly flew through the field directly behind the royal stables. Usually that was the only place they rode, but today, Princess Lady Serenity had other plans. Princess Saturn knew where she was going. There was a little meadow in the woods, surrounded by trees. It was Princess Lady Serenity's destination, because that was where she had first met Pegasus.
Despite the fact that Princess Saturn and her horse, his name was Hershey after some ancient type of chocolate that her resembled, were gaining speed, Princess Lady Serenity and Comet (her horse) were barley a dot entering the forest.
Far ahead, Princess Lady Serenity was aware that her friend was trying to catch her, but she didn't care. They broke the tree line, and sped through the forest. There was no marked trail, but Princess Lady Serenity knew where she was going.
Endeavoring to catch them, Princess Saturn and Hershey broke through the trees and followed the little trail of broken branches, hoping that Princess Lady Serenity had gone that way.
A simple little trail ride had turned into a nightmare, in less than five minutes. And Princess Saturn felt responsible, she was Princess Lady Serenity's friend and guardian, so she had to protect her... so she hurried on.
Princess Lady Serenity nimbly turned in the saddle and could make out Princess Saturn in hot pursuit. Some wild part of her enjoyed the petty chase, so she turned back around and hurried on.
Only about 3 minutes into the forest (they were on horseback) they came to the meadow. It was small, but to Princess Lady Serenity it seamed nothing but beautiful. Sun streamed through the branches of trees, highlighting the carpet of red and brown leaves and a babbling little brook that cut across the back of the clearing. It was peaceful with birds singing a pretty tune.
Princess Lady Serenity slowed her horse to a stop. It was breathing hard, but it was okay. She was content for a moment just to sit on its back, listen to the birds, and look at the Earth.
Truly, she was enjoying it while she still could. It was true, no matter how hard to believe, that any day now, any moment, even right then, it all could have been shattered like a mirror.
She knew that, because she sensed the evil growing stronger and preparing to break out upon the world. It wouldn't be long. The evil was Queen Nehalania, an evil queen that Princess Lady Serenity and her mother, Helios and everyone on Earth had trapped in a mirror with their dream power.
But Queen Nehalania too had a dream, no matter how dark and sinister. She wanted to destroy Princess Lady Serenity and Helios, and to plunge Earth into darkness with no dreams.
Helios too knew this. But there was no way to find the chosen maiden in time. Nehalania would be there so soon! And, Helios explained to Princess Lady Serenity that the chosen maiden had to be a descendent of the first guardian of Elysion and the golden crystal. The only possible answer was that she would be his daughter.
Even if Helios did have a daughter, which he didn't, she'd be too young and inexperienced to fight Nehalania and win. So, they swore to protect Helios, Elysion and the golden crystal.
But they knew that Nehalania was too strong, they knew there was no hope. So now, Princess Lady Serenity didn't mind danger as much as long as she was having fun. Besides, what danger is there in riding a gentle, old mare? A lot.
"YOU ARE GOING TO BE SORRY!!" gasped Princess Saturn. She just rode into the small meadow. "Why on Earth did you come here? And you went so fast that you could fall off and-"
Princess Lady Serenity cut her off. "You are not my mother, and even if you were, life is too short to worry about danger."
"You call 1000 years short?" Princess Saturn asked. She turned her gelding in a tight circle around Princess Lady Serenity.
"I do. Anyways, where's lunch?" They had packed a small picnic basket and Princess Lady Serenity was starved.
"Is food all you think about?! I have it here. Let's cross the stream and eat on the rock over there, there is grass for the horses." Princess Saturn smiled inwardly, glad that her friend was having fun at least.
"Okay, let's go! I'm going to get there first and eat twice as much as you do!" Princess Lady Serenity taped Comet with her heals and they were off at a canter before they even began to walk.
Princess Saturn grumbled and followed. "Hey! I know what I'll do! Instead of riding through the river, I'll jump over it!"
For about a second, Princess Saturn was out of her mind with worry. Then she laughed, "Ha ha, funny joke, stop kidding around, you know that that's stupid, you could kill yourself and the little one."
"We're all going to die anyways." She hadn't meant to tell Princess Saturn that! Helios had made her swear not to tell anyone. Oh well, maybe she didn't hear.
"What?! OH MY GOD!! YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT?! ARE YOU NUTS?"
Princess Lady Serenity didn't answer. Instead, she remembered what her tutor had taught her about jumping when riding a horse.
Automatically, she leaned over and loosened the reins. Between Comet's ears, she could see the stream coming closer. It wasn't big, only about two feet wide, and cool blue. Maybe a foot deep, probably less.
A few seconds before the stream, she squeezed her legs, giving her horse the signal to jump. "Princess!" Princess Saturn pleaded, but it was to late. Comet's fore feet left the ground-
And they never finished the jump. A sudden blurred motion flew out of a bush and right in front of the horse. The horse tried to back away from it, but her was standing on two legs, so he started to fall back.
Princess Lady Serenity was frantic. What was that thing? Her horse was going down, and so was she!! "PRINCESS!!" Saturn screamed, but her voice was lost in the mayhem.
It was chaos. Total chaos. Princess Saturn tried to get to Princess Lady Serenity, Comet tried to get away from whatever the thing in front of him was and Princess Lady Serenity just sat there in shock.
'I'm going to die,' she thought. 'I won't have to worry about Nehalania killing me.' That hit her mind as everything happened in slow motion. No, she couldn't die, because then there was no one to protect Helios, Elysion, Earth, dreams and the golden crystal.
She kicked her feet out of the stirrups and jumped away from the flailing horse. The sense of slow motion stopped, and everything happened at super speed. In less than 5 seconds, Comet crashed to the ground and lay unmoving, Princess Saturn reached him, and Princess Lady Serenity hit the ground with a thud, rolling and clutching her huge belly protectively.
Before losing consciousness, she was aware of a few things. One, she was hurt, but not severely, she might live, if she had stayed on Comet, she'd be dead right now. Two, she saw clearly what the thing was that had spooked the horse. A red eyeball with wings. 'It looks like Zirconia's messenger, wasn't it called Zircon or something like that? But that's impossible,' she identified, Zirconia was Nehalania's henchman and the eye thing was a messenger for him. And three, her stomach hurt terribly, each breath was a struggle.
She saw the eyeball staring at her, almost puzzled. Then the signal eye 'widened' almost in reconization, perhaps amazement. Then it flew away, and Princess Saturn jumped of Hershey. She ran to Princess Lady Serenity, who was curled in a ball on the ground.
"Oh no! Princess! You are hurt! The baby is probably hurt too! It's my fault!" She sobbed.
"Then shut up and go get help!" She snapped irritably, "My stomach hurts."
"Your stomach? Oh no!" A thousand horrors ran through Princess Saturn's mind. Princess Lady Serenity was pregnant, despite her young age. And a fall like that could either hurt the baby and/or trigger premature labor. 'There's only one thing to do,' she decided sadly. "I'll be back as soon as possible, your majesty. Please try to hold on until then." Princess Saturn scrambled back onto her horse.
There was fear on her face, her normally rosy cheeks were pale white with fear.
The horse started to gallop almost immediately, and they were out of sight and half way back to the castle in less time than it had taken to get there.
Princess Lady Serenity tried to sit up, but a sudden pain in her side made her lie back down gasping and groaning. What was wrong with her?
Her eyelids felt heavy and it was a struggle to keep them open. She'd promised that she'd try to stay awake... She had promised...
But it was no use, with a sigh, she felt her eyes slide closed and her mind begin to drift...
***
Meanwhile, in Elysion, Helios was busy watering flowers, a job he liked to do because it was relaxing. But then, all of a sudden, he felt it. Like a blow to the head, he recognized this feeling at once. Something was very wrong. Very wrong.
He dropped the metal watering can, and some of the water sloshed out. The menards looked up from their work. "Master? Are you ill?"
"No." He wasn't paying attention. It was as obvious to him as if it were written in neon green flashing lights. Nehalania. And... the chosen maiden?
Helios wasn't sure quite what was happening, but he knew what ever it was, it was horrible. "I...will be back...Where is Saros?"
"In the main room, master. Shall we summon her?" The menards were polite, but their calmness got on his nerves.
"No, that's okay. I'll get her. SAROS!!" He roared Saros's name and she came running.
"Um, what?" She was dressed in a flower print skirt and neon pink tank top. She smiled guiltily. "What did I do this time?"
"It's...something's wrong. I think...it might be Nehalania. I'm going to Earth to find Princess Lady Serenity and see what's happening. If I don't come back...I want you to be in charge. I'd ask you to come, but I want to know that someone with at least half a brain is still here, so you have to stay. Get everyone into the main room, just in case, because it's the strongest." Helios smiled at the little joke, but his face was stressed and her could almost see the shadow fall over Saros's face.
"Okay," she answered without any questions, turning the other way and heading for the main room, where there was a speaker. Helios knew she wouldn't question his judgment. Everyone in Elysion, including Helios, had learned to trust in instinct.
He used the sun formation teleportation spot to teleport quickly to Princess Lady Serenity's garden. She wasn't there. His heart sank in his chest.
He quickly scanned the area. No one. Oh well. First, he decided to cheek her room. The hallways were familiar to him, so he knew where her room was. But...what if it was too late? There was no sign of Nehalania. But there was no sign of Princess Lady Serenity either. What if...
BAM! "Sorry! But I'm in a hurry, Princess Lady Serenity's in labor!!"
"WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?!" Helios was total frazzled. No, that wasn't possible!
"Huh? Oh my gosh, Helios, what are you doing here? We, well, I, have to find Neo Queen Serenity fast. It's Princess Lady Serenity, I think she's in labor!"
"Princess Saturn, where is she? I needed to tell her something..." Helios trailed off. Princess Saturn started down the hall and Helios followed. It was a chance meeting, but it was just as well. 'In labor!! How is that possible?! Is that what I sensed...?'
"She's...in the woods. There was an accident and she got hurt...She said her stomach hurt..." She rushed into the room where Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion slept, hoping they'd be there. Fortunately, they were. King Endymion was reading a book and Neo Queen Serenity was writing a letter.
"NEO QUEEN SERENITY! COME QUICK!"
Neo Queen Serenity jumped to her feet, surprised as Princess Saturn broke the silence with her frantic cry. "What? What is the matter? Princess Saturn? Helios? Where is Princess Lady Serenity?"
"That's the problem. She was in a horseback riding accident. Now...she says her stomach hurts...we need a doctor. I don't know how her horse is, but I though that putting her on my horse might just hurt her more..."
"Oh no! Endymion, get the doctors. My poor little girl...Why on Earth did you take her horseback riding? You knew she was pregnant. And why is Helios here?"
They were already out the door. "The fastest way there is on horseback, and she insisted on going horseback riding. She said, 'life's to short to worry about danger.'"
Helios gasped. "What?" asked Neo Queen Serenity, as they entered the royal stables. Before he could answer, she added, "Helios, ride Alpha Centari and Princess Saturn ride Aurora Borealis."
They quickly saddled up the horses, and a couple extras for King Endymion, Princess Lady Serenity and the doctors. Just as they finished, King Endymion burst in, with four doctors directly behind him.
"We have the horses saddled, Princess Saturn knows the way, she says horses are the fastest way to get there. We have no time to spare. Let's go!" Everyone jumped onto a horse and followed Princess Saturn through the stable door. No one questioned anyone, as they rushed to help.
Although she led the galloping procession, Princess Saturn didn't pay attention. All she could do was think of how guilty she felt. It was all her fault...
Helios too was thinking, but he wasn't feeling guilty, he was worried. How could this happen? Did Queen Nehalania somehow hurt her? He had to get to her, had to help her!
They broke through the tree of what had once been the forest of Crossroads Park. Helios knew where they were; this was where he had met Princess Lady Serenity as an innocent little child with beautiful dreams.
He split off from the group and used a shortcut through the trees, while the others stayed to the path that Princess Lady Serenity and Princess Saturn had made. But Helios got there faster.
He knew she was in the small meadow in the center of the forest, and when he saw a white mare sprawled out on the ground, unmoving, he knew he was right.
"Princess Lady Serenity?" he called, slipping off of his horse's back with fluid grace. A tiny rustle was the only answer. But he searched nevertheless. When Helios looked behind the horse, he saw a slight figure, a thin girl with pink hair, holding an enormous stomach.
She blinked, as bright sunlight stung her eyes. She thought she heard..."Helios? Where..." She was to weak to say anything else. Helios ran over to her.
"I'm right here, princess. You seemed to have had a bad accident. Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"
He held her head in his arms. Baby...Accident...? It came back to her, the strange eyeball thing, falling, her 8-month pregnant stomach churning.
"I...so weak...I'm...okay...but...my stomach..." Every word was a struggle. "It's hard to breath, and..." All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain. She inhaled quickly and gave a little sob. "I'm...such a wimp...I just fell off a horse...that's all...I'm so sorry..."
Helios stood up when he heard a crash of sticks. "Over here! Hurry, she's just barely conscious and she says her stomach hurts and it's hard to breath or talk!"
They hurriedly dismounted and rushed over. The first thing the doctors did was move her up to safer ground. The beautiful dress she'd been wearing was soaked with stream water.
Then they laid out a blanket for her to sit on, which she did. Then the doctors questioned her. "Does any thing feel broken?"
"No."
"Exactly how does your stomach feel?"
"It hurts...like...someone's grabbing it and twisting it while it's in...my body..." She inhaled sharply, "And ...I can't breath...I'm...dizzy...and tired..."
"How many months pregnant are you?"
"I...don't remember..."
"Eight," interrupted Helios.
After no more than five seconds and a round of exchanged looks between the doctors, he continued to say, "I think, that...Well, Princess Lady Serenity is showing sure signs of premature labor, nothing serious, and if she delivers the baby, it should be okay. Because she's so far along."
"What about...why am I so tired...?"
"Probably because you took such a beating, it's amazing that you didn't break anything."
"I...don't think...I'm not strong enough...to deliver a baby. I can...win a war...three times over...but...I can't do this..."
She was breathing heavily and her vision was clouded. She knew she was about to black out. 'How am I going to do this?' she wondered. 'I'm not strong enough.'
"You have to stay awake. I'm going to get you back to the palace so that if you do black out, I'll be able to do an emergency C-section." The doctor had a worried look on his face. To the doctors behind him, he ordered, "Get her horse, it will be hard to get her on."
Helios took her hand. "I'm here. And I'm not leaving. You can do this. You've done much harder things; you destroyed the queen of darkness. You've put up with all kinds of unbearable pain. You just have to stay awake, at least until we get to the palace. Will you try?"
"I...will try...but...the chosen maiden won't wait...and...I didn't destroy her...I just...sealed Nehalania away...don't leave." She was weak; she knew she wouldn't make it back to the palace.
And the pain was more intense. Something was definitely up. "Okay, work with us, Princess. I'm going to hold your arm and support you, all you have to do is stand, and we'll give you a leg up onto your horse. On three."
Helios protectively held her other arm, and the doctor supported one. "One." Like the Amazon trio. "Two." All together, they called, "Three!"
With a huge effort, Princess Lady Serenity forced her numb legs to work. They felt it would shatter at any moment. She had just caught her balance when a sharp pain in her side made her scream and double over.
Princess Lady Serenity sunk back to the ground. She felt horrible. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "I'm sorry...I'm such a wimp...I should be able to do this...I'm sorry...I can't help it..."
"It's okay," soothed Helios. He looked at the doctors.
"Change in plans, this baby's not going to wait. Get the emergency kit in the saddle bag." The head doctor barked out orders, but all Princess Lady Serenity could do was sit and cry, Helios did his best to quiet her, stroking her face and holding her hand.
"I'm sorry," she apologized for the thirtieth time, "I don't think I'll make it...so tiered...sorry..."
"Princess Lady Serenity! You have to stay awake! If you want your baby, our baby to be okay, you have to fight to bring her into this world, you chose the place, they chose the time."
"I...can't..." Princess Lady serenity's eye wouldn't stay open. "I did my fair share of fighting...may Elysion never know such horror as I have..."
And with about a dozen familiar loving voices ordering her not to, Princess Lady Serenity fell into a deep sleep, one of the few that wasn't troubled by nightmare the past few months...
* * *
(In her dream/memory)
A big lump. Like a hill. Or a mountain. Only, rising out of her body. The lump made Princess Lady Serenity look like a mountain, at least in her opinion.
But to everyone else, she was just gaining weight. Her mom would tease her that she ate too much cake (not true!). Little did they know that Princess Lady Serenity was 4 months pregnant.
Yes, it was true; fourteen-year-old Princess of the moon was going to have a baby. She told no one. Well, except for, obviously her boyfriend Helios.
And...Princess Saturn. She couldn't keep it a secret. At four moths, she was just starting to show signs of pregnancy. And she couldn't keep quiet anymore.
At lunch one day, she slipped Princess Saturn a quickly scrolled note that read:
Princess Saturn,
I have something REALY BIG I have to tell you. After lunch, meet me in the secret room; you have to swear, on your life, never to say a word to anyone.
Princess Lady Serenity
P.s. Helios told me not to tell, at least for a little while, but I have to tell someone or I'll explode.
Princess Saturn, of course, had no idea what Princess Lady Serenity meant. But she nodded and promised to meet her there.
After lunch, they went separate ways like normal, falsely swearing to meet in the library. Then, they took separate paths that both lead to the hallway where Princess Lady Serenity's room was located.
Princess Lady Serenity got there first, because it wasn't suspicious to take a direct route to her room. She went into her room and was about to push aside the big mirror in her room, when she stopped.
The mirror somehow gave her the chills. She'd never told anyone...but she had no idea where it had come from and it looked exactly like the mirror in which Queen Nehalania was trapped. But not for long.
When she looked in the mirror, Princess Lady Serenity saw her reflection, but the entire mirror seemed to be glowing black, plunged into shadows.
In those shadows lurked...She shivered. "Okay! I'm here, the party may start!"
Princess Lady Serenity whirled. "You are such a ham, Princess Saturn!"
"Ham? Where?" Princess Saturn laughed at her own joke. Her face grew serious. "So what's up? It must be pretty bad..."
"You have to swear...on your life...never...ever...to tell...swear it..." Princess Lady Serenity had to tell her...but she had to be careful...
"I don't know what could possibly be that important...but...I swear I will never ever on my life tell anyone your secret." Princess Saturn was worried, it shone in her eyes. She sat on the edge of Princess Lady Serenity's bed, ready to give her advice if something bad happened.
"Okay...how do you tell someone this..." she trailed. "Well...I...I...I..." She couldn't help stuttering. "I don't know what to say."
"Well than just say in strait out, and I swear I won't laugh."
"I'm not worried about you laughing, I worried about you strangling me with your bare hands before running to my mom." Princess Saturn laughed. Then she realized that Princess Lady Serenity was dead serious.
"Well...?"
"Well, you asked for it. I'm pregnant."
For a moment, the calm before the storm, there was nothing. "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Princess Lady Serenity couldn't hear anything for a few seconds. She caught the end of "Haha, nice joke."
Only it sounded like, "Joke."
"I'm not joking. I swear it's true. I'm four months pregnant." Princess Lady Serenity met Princess Saturn's eyes steadily.
After a few seconds, Princess Saturn realized the truth. Her face went pale white. "Oh my god. Oh my god. You're not joking." Princess Lady Serenity shook her head slightly.
"You promised not to tell anyone, not even the queen, my mom." Princess Saturn gasped.
"You didn't tell your mom?!"
"No. You're the only person who knows. I didn't even tell Diana."
"I'm the only one..." Princess Saturn was having a hard time absorbing it.
"Well...I told...Helios, of course."
Princess Saturn's mouth formed an 'o' in astonishment "You don't mean...you and Helios..."
Princess Lady Serenity blushed and looked away. She couldn't look at Princess Saturn anymore. "I..."
Princess Saturn started to rage, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, PRINCESS LADY SERENITY!!! YOU ARE ONLY FOURTEEN!!!"
Only it wasn't Princess Saturn.
The screaming voice came from outside the door. The door came flying open to reveal a figure standing there. They should have gone into the secret room...
It was Neo Queen Serenity. And she'd heard the entire thing.
"I...no!! NO!! What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here. You can hear! NO!!" All of a sudden, she burst into tears. He'd warned her...It was her fault.
"I don't know what to say. And I'm here because I found this." Neo Queen Serenity held up a sheet of paper. The note!
"I must have dropped it...it was in my pocket." Princess Saturn looked guilty. "Sorry."
"I was worried," Princess Lady Serenity's mother continued, "But I never imagined something like this..."
"Are you mad?" squeaked Princess Lady Serenity, peering up through her tears.
There was a long, long pause. "I don't know."
They stared at her. "If you were a real fourteen year old, I'd be furious. But you're not. You're much older where it counts. So...I don't know. I just wish you'd told me..."
"It's my life!" Princess Lady Serenity snapped, "And I'm not a little kid anymore. You will...never know...why...until it is to late. I'll never be able to explain why it had to be this way until it's all over...I couldn't explain to you if I tried..."
"Why? Because I'm the one person who understands you? I'm your mother!" Neo Queen Serenity's voice rose too.
"No. I can't tell you...because I'm forbidden..."
"By who? Helios? Did that flying maniac drag you into this? I'll kill him!"
"Shut up! Don't you dare say that! I forbid myself, for your own safety. Helios...he is the one person who understands...and I couldn't even tell him the whole truth...There is some stuff...I can't tell anyone...But what I do is my problem, and I'm trying to protect you!"
Neo Queen Serenity snorted a little laugh. "Protect me? I'm the most powerful person in the world! What do I need protection from? And how is getting pregnant behind my back going to help?"
"I...can't tell you..."
"YOU-"
Princess Saturn stepped between them. "Okay, cool down both of you. What is done is done, even if it's wrong. And it's Princess Lady Serenity's business if she wants to keep secrets."
"But, she's pregnant! What else is there that she can't tell even Helios? If something horrible is happening, then we need to know!"
Princess Lady Serenity murmured, "Nothing has happened. Yet. What will happen...will happen regardless, we're doing all we can..."
"WE!" Neo Queen Serenity shrieked.
"Please, mom, just forget it. You can remember I'm pregnant, but please just forget I said anything else."
"Okay, that's fair, do what she says. Stop arguing and go plan a baby shower or something, you two are scaring me!"
Mother and daughter looked at each other. "I agree, as long as you do," answered Princess Lady Serenity.
"I guess I do too."
They gave each other a big hug. The warmth of that moment was unforgettable. "I love you, mom," Princess Lady Serenity said, impulsively as her mom wiped the tears off her cheeks.
"I love you too. You are growing up so fast. I'm to young to be a grandmother!"
"You have five more months to be just a mother. I'm due in September." Princess Lady Serenity finally pulled out of the hug.
"You be careful. Sit down as often as possible. And eat as much as you can, if you have to gain weight make the most of it! And don't let Helios slack either, guys were created to wait on their pregnant wives."
"We're not married. And of course, I'm not going to boss him around. He's very busy in Elysion. Saros can only handle so much. She is in charge when he comes to visit me. She's really very nice."
"Saros? That's another word for a lunar eclipse." Neo Queen Serenity seemed interested. She pulled up a chair. "He told you about his friends in Elysion?"
"Actually they are his council, and I met them. I really can't tell you too much more...we're not supposed to be allowed to visit Elysion, but somehow, Helios broke the rule for me. But I can't really tell you too much."
"You've been there?" Princess Saturn and Neo Queen Serenity exclaimed in unison.
"Oops!!" She paused and grinned evilly. Then her eyes became far away, as if she wasn't really there... "Yes. It is so beautiful. It's not hard to imagine that Elysion was built on people's dreams..."
"Oh...well, if you aren't supposed to say, I won't bug you..." Neo Queen Serenity stood up.
"Would you mind if I told Endymion and the scouts, I mean princesses?"
"Tell only them, no one else."
***
Then the dream skipped to the day they announced Princess Lady Serenity's engagement to Helios.
It was another happy and memorable day. Helios was there, obviously, and somehow he'd gotten the menards to watch Elysion, so Saros, Chris, John and the Amazon Trio were there to watch.
Helios had asked Princess Lady Serenity weeks earlier. She'd said yes, of course. But she insisted that the wedding be after the war. And somehow, he agreed.
Then she'd told her mom, and her mom told her dad and so on. They'd decide to have a party. Helios was invited, his council, and everyone within a day's travel of Crystal Palace.
There was tons and tons of food, the party was nearly as grand as the masked ball so many months ago. Princess Lady Serenity was huge, though, and everyone was able to see she was pregnant easily by the way her stomach bulged expectantly under her dress.
A loud tap rang through the air and everyone was silent. "Thank you everyone for coming, I'm pleased to have you all here! I want to tell anyone who doesn't know the reason for this party is to celebrate Princess Lady Serenity's engagement, finally!
"Hey!" Princess Lady Serenity prodded her mom with her elbow. They still argued about little things that were unimportant, so Princess Saturn grabbed Princess Lady Serenity's shoulders and turned her back to facing the crowd.
She, Helios, her parents, and the Planet Princesses all stood on an outdoor platform in one of the largest gardens, where the party was being held. There were so many people! But Princess Lady Serenity was used to people, so she wasn't nervous.
She gave Helios's hand a happy squeeze, which was easy because he was standing, more nervously, next to her, holding her hand.
"That's basically all we have to say. I hope everyone enjoys eating and talking!"
"What about the ring?" shouted a little boy.
With a laugh, Princess Lady Serenity merrily held up the arm Helios was holding. There, on the pointer finger, a heart shaped diamond glowed in the sun, held in a golden crescent moon.
The people cheered. The laughter of that merry day was unforgettable, too. She remembered how she, Helios, Saros, Chris, John and the Amazons had spent the entire time joking together like the best friends they were. Nehalania and her threat was forgotten completely, that happy time.
Princess Lady Serenity even recalled that Fish Eye dumped red fruit punch all over her, and Saros had to get a towel to wipe it up and got lost. They spent an hour searching and found her in the attic.
***
Now the dream was speeding up. The memories flew by like a rocket and every one of them was a cherished moment. For some reason she didn't dream of Nehalania.
She dreamed of walking down the sunlight hall of Crystal Palace, all the princesses and her parents with her.
She saw the time she and Princess Saturn had gotten into a petty fight over which of them was taller. They'd had to call in one of the servants with a ruler to prove that they were both exactly the same height, 4foot 11inches.
Princess Lady Serenity recalled some of her more pleasant secret trips to Elysion. The time when she'd decided impulsively that they were going to go on a picnic. She'd pack herself, Helios, Saros, Chris, John and the Amazons a gourmet lunch from the palace kitchens.
But when she got there, they were too busy analyzing something or other that they couldn't go anywhere. Instead, they ate the food in the palace and had a great time, the council hadn't had time for lunch, so it was fortunate that Princess Lady Serenity had thought to bring food.
She even dreamed about sitting for hours on end in the secret room above hers and reading. Her absolute favorite book was one she'd picked up in the past, called "Moonlight Pegasus." It was about a beautiful winged horse that fell in love with a lovely young maiden and almost died to save her from evil. It reminded her of herself and Helios, long ago when he'd been turned into a Pegasus.
The dreams became so fast that she could barely follow them. Images of all the happy times in the past 8 months, since she became pregnant. The dreams took her mind off of Queen Nehalania's threat and showed her the joy she'd felt.
They slowed down and for a second, Princess Lady Serenity was reliving a short conversation she and her mom had had once.
"How do you like being pregnant?" her mom was asking.
"It's okay, but the best part is that I get to eat whatever I wasn't. Like ice cream and chocolate cake."
"When I was pregnant with you, I remember not being able to eat enough pudding and peppermint candies." Princess Lady Serenity said nothing.
"So do you and Helios have a name picked out? How 'bout Princess Serenity Jr.?"
"No, that's quite alright, mom. I don't know about Helios, but I have a name picked out. I'm sure he'll like it, though."
"What is it?"
The dream was cut off and Princess Lady Serenity began to have other quick images. She'd never answered her mom, though; she'd just walked away.
Lunches, dinners, formal parties, and her birthday. She dreamed of it all. It was as if she was reliving all the good points of her pregnancy and forgetting anything bad. What a wonderful dream. Until the last bit of memory. Memory that wasn't hers...
***
Darkness. The first thing that Princess Lady Serenity was aware of was the total, complete darkness all around her. Consuming the pure light was the darkness. The darkness was evil...
NO! Not the dream again! How could she forget, for even a second the nightmare that had haunted her every night, making her dread the rising of the moon and setting of the sun?
Only, the dream was slightly different.
"Where did the moon go?" she tried to ask, but her voice wouldn't work. Then she saw... but didn't see... the source of the darkness...
Princess Lady Serenity could make out the silhouette of a woman. Her hair was black. Her eyes shone an evil red color. And on her forehead was the mark that Princess Lady Serenity, no Super Sailor Chibi Moon, knew all too well. The three dark, upside down crescent moons, symbol of the queen of the Dead Moon, Queen Nehalania.
Princess Lady Serenity shivered in horror. She could see the evil queen standing right there. But unlike in her other dreams, no nightmares, she wasn't there, she could see but she couldn't act. It was like watching a terrifying movie.
Nehalania was standing there like in all her dreams, but she wasn't holding Helios...she was holding...the golden crystal?! No, it was only...a pineapple?! What was going on?!
"Super Sailor Moon, catch!" A red haired girl wearing what would scarcely count as a bikini threw some thing through the air in a glittering arch to Super Sailor Moon. Super Sailor Moon?! What was she doing in the dream? Neo Queen Serenity hadn't transformed since ...almost a thousand years ago!
Super Sailor Moon caught the golden shining item. She looked at it for a moment and then with a determined face she held a golden colored crystal above her head. "Please lend my your power, golden crystal," she whispered.
The golden crystal?! Then at once, she remembered this. It was exactly what had happened before. Super Sailor Moon had taken the golden crystal from the Amazon Quartet and tried to use it but failed. It was dark because there was a solar eclipse.
As she remembered, the golden crystal shined, and then the light like the sun flickered and went out. A sigh came from behind her as Super Sailor Moon let out a surprised and horrified cry.
Helios. It was so strange to see him, even in her dreams, as a child again. But what she found even more disturbing was the girl who sat beside him on the cold ground. If she hadn't been there in that same exact spot, she would never have guessed that she was staring at herself.
The tiny girl with pink hair and red eyes was so different...
Somehow stronger, though she was younger, a little girl with a big dream and her life ahead of her. She believed in her loved ones and trusted them with her life.
My life is in my own hands now, Princess Lady Serenity realized. And this is what I've done with it. Lie, sneak, and become pregnant way too early. Is this what I wanted...?
She couldn't answer that question.
Princess Lady Serenity thought she knew what was going to happen, but nothing could prepare her for what was about to happen.
Super Sailor Chibi Moon moved to step up. But someone behind her stopped her. Instead of the young girl stepping forward to save the world, a different girl stepped forward.
She had long golden hair. Eyes as gold as the sun. Tall and thin, about thirteen. And she was wearing a super sailor fuku, all gold, even the bows, with a white bodice, white gloves trimmed with gold, a gold sailor collar and golden high-heel sandals.
She gently, but firmly took the golden crystal from Super Sailor Moon. It began to radiate golden light. "Who are you?!" Nehalania shouted.
"I am a princess yet a soldier, protected by moonlight with a beautiful dream, chosen maiden who holds the crystal that can melt the seal of the golden crystal. I am the chosen maiden, Elysion!"
***
Part7
Chosen maiden, Elysion? What on earth...Princess Lady Serenity was sick to death of the jumble of dreams and memories, love and loss, horror that made her want to tear her hair out with grief. Though she tried as hard as she could to make sense of her dreams, she had no idea what it meant.
It wasn't for a few minutes that she realized that the dream had ended and she was awake. "Hurry! Her pulse is back to normal and she should be waking up any time now!"
Helios? "Helios?" she croaked. She heard a gasp and a swish of movement as he turned to stare at her sweet face. She struggled to open her eyes, but they felt heavy.
"Princess...are you awake? You're okay now, you can wake up."
"I...am awake. But..." She felt numb all over. She could barely feel anything and it was nearly impossible to direct her body.
"Thank god...sweetie, don't you want to see her? Open your eyes, it's no use to keep them closed while you are awake."
"I..." his voice was so kind. And, of course, she wanted to see her daughter. She knew it was a girl beyond doubt, though she'd never asked a doctor. "Of course I want to see her. I just can't...control my body."
He laughed. "They gave you a lot of pain killers so they could drag you through the woods on horseback. They gave you a C-section when we got here. You might not feel anything, because they didn't want you to hurt as soon as you woke up, you have stitches, you know."
She pulled her lips into a smile. Finally, she struggled to blink her eyes open. What a tough time she had doing that! She looked around, but Helios leaned over her, blocking her view.
"You can't see until they are done. Here let me help you sit up. Are you sore?" He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her up.
She winced as pain shot threw her stomach, where she guessed they'd cut her open. "Not much," Princess Lady Serenity lied, "But, a little. I'm sure it's worth it all, though. Can I please see my baby?"
Helios smiled, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Close your eyes, while I go get her, and promise not to open them until I say."
"I promise." She closed her eyes obediently and waited, one arm propping her up. She began to think about the dream. It couldn't be a premonition, because it had already happened when she was little, but it couldn't be a memory of the past because of the chosen maiden. It was...a different past, altered by the presence of the chosen maiden.
Princess Lady Serenity's mind began to reel. That might be the answer! They knew it was to late to save themselves, but they could destroy Nehalania in the past and she wouldn't come to the future to destroy it! She was just thinking how wild and impossible that idea was when she felt someone sit down on the edge of the bed.
"Can I see her yet, Helios?" she demanded.
Princess Saturn laughed, "I hope that's not who you think I am, because I wouldn't take it as a compliment, considering the fact that I'm a girl!"
"Sorry! Helios told me to keep my eyes closed until he came back. He's going to bring the baby in. Did he name her yet?"
"Of course not! You get to help decide the name. He wouldn't dare!" Princess Saturn paused. "Do you know what you're going to name her?"
"Exactly." She'd know from the beginning what the infant baby's name would be, though she never told Helios, and her dream insured it.
"What?"
"I'm going to call her-"
"Okay, open your eyes!" Even as she heard Helios's voice, she couldn't believe it. She was going to see her baby, a small part of herself. She sat down on the edge of the bed to steady herself and flipped her eyes open expectantly.
It took a moment to focus her eyes to see again, but when she did, that instant any pain she'd ever felt, any horror in the universe was worth it. Before her she saw a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket, with big eyes looking at her, meeting her mother's gaze.
"Oh..." Princess Lady Serenity gasped. How beautiful! "Helios....please, can I hold her? I really have to."
"Of course! I wouldn't dream otherwise. Not let you hold your own child, ha!" Helios, still grinning madly, handed he tiny bundle over into Princess Lady Serenity's waiting and slightly trembling arms.
To hold the infant was a heaven in itself. A miracle really. The miracle of life, the baby had been grown inside of her and then born of her.
"She's so sweet and innocent and tiny," breathed Princess Lady Serenity, unable to remove her eyes.
"Just like you were when I met you, sweet innocent and tiny. And full of wonderful, beautiful golden dreams."
Princess Lady Serenity looked at Helios. It was true, but...
"Dreams. She is full of dreams. Beautiful dreams, even now. And some day, she'll fulfill them, like have. You can see it in her eyes."
Helios murmured, "She has golden eyes. Like..."
"Chosen Maiden. I know, and a fuzz of golden hair too, Small and light, meaning she's be thin and tall as a child and an adult..."
Suddenly, rather impulsively, Helios asked, "What will we name her? Moon Princess Serenity the third?"
"No, the moon has enough protectors, our daughter is the servant of her dreams. She is a Princess protected by moonlight. Yet she stands for the golden light of dreams, the sun and Elysion."
"So what shall we name her?"
"Helios, don't you know? I knew before she was born. I knew from the beginning of this."
Helios said nothing. His eyes were full of confusion. Princess Lady Serenity affectionately stroked her daughter's cheek, staring into the bright golden eyes. "Her name is Elysion."
"Elysion," Helios repeated. It had just dawned on him, if she truly was the chosen maiden, then she stood for dreams and Elysion, though she was always protected by moonlight.
"A princess yet a soldier, protected by moonlight with a beautiful dream, Chosen Maiden who holds the crystal that shall melt the seal of the golden crystal...Our Elysion...is a princess...is protected by moonlight, but she is no soldier, has no crystal, and her dreams at this point are as big as a bottle."
"She's an infant! Not even a day old! Honestly! If she dreams of a bottle, then go get her one!" Princess Lady Serenity burst this out and then laughed.
"Yes ma'am! I will get her a baba!" Helios laughed too. There was such incredible joy that entire day throughout the kingdom, first child to Princess Lady Serenity was born and well! And no one could be happier, especially the parents.
"Here," Princess Saturn said. She thrust a bottle at Helios. "I was waiting for the princess so she could feed her. It's still warm."
He in turn handed the bottle to Princess Lady Serenity who eased it into the newborn's mouth like a pro. "You sure you've never done this before? You seem to be doing everything perfect."
"Never. I did baby-sit one of the cooks' daughters so that she could finish dinner, but I've never really fed a baby before, cause the cook's daughter was old enough to feed herself," Princess Lady Serenity responded.
"She's so sweet," Princess Lady Serenity repeated, "I can't believe she's all mine."
"She's not all yours, she's mine too, and she owns herself, you know," corrected Helios.
"I know, but you know what I mean. I just can't believe I have-"
Suddenly a chorus of people yelled out "SURPRIZE!!!!"
Princess Lady Serenity frowned and looked up. "Great Serenity, what is all of this?" she cursed mildly. She had been so absorbed in her tiny baby that she'd not bothered to look at anything else.
The entire room was decorated with streamers, banners, tissue paper, flowers and strings of pearls. People she knew crowded around them, her mom, the planet princesses, cooks, servants and many of her friends. Each bearing a gift of some sort.
"It's your baby shower, of course! It was planed for today, that's why we made Princess Saturn get you out of the palace. Of course we didn't expect..." Neo Queen Serenity said energetically, trailing off at the end.
"So we decided to have it in here so that you could see it when you woke up!" Princess Venus finished cheerfully.
"But you woke up before we finished, so Helios wouldn't let you look, are you surprised?" added Princess Saturn.
In amazement, Princess Lady Serenity nodded. "All this? Just for me? And of course, my baby. Thank you all so much!!"
Princess Lady Serenity couldn't over come the wonder of the room. Decorations, gifts, even a table overflowing with food, no doubt made by Princess Jupiter. Turning to Helios she asked, "Did you know?" His sly smile answered for him. Yes.
Impatiently, Lisa, one of Princess Lady Serenity's friends from out of the palace handed her a big box covered in pink paper with gold letters that said, "NEW BABY." "Please open mine first! I hope you, well, she likes it."
Before Princess Lady Serenity could move or speak, King Endymion called gently, "What is her name?"
Princess Lady Serenity and Helios exchanged glances.
"Elysion."
"What an adorable name!"
"How sweet!"
"I love it!"
"Almost as cute as she is!"
"Awwww!"
Those were the friends, cooks and servants. Of course there were more, but whatever the others said was lost in the noise. It was noisy, yet silent. None of the royals, and not one of the planet princesses spoke. Not one. They knew what Elysion was, or at least they'd heard of it although they'd never been there.
And something about the name of the baby being Elysion...disturbed them. "Elysion," repeated King Endymion. "It's a...good name...for a child of dreams...and Elysion..." He had no idea what he was saying, but he wasn't really talking to the group, he was arguing with himself.
The others who had no idea what their king was seemingly so upset about fell silent, in respect. There was no noise whatsoever. And Princess Lady Serenity burst out laughing so hard that her stomach began to hurt fiercely and still she didn't stop. "What is so funny?" demanded Princess Venus, her hands on her hips.
"This!" she answered, still laughing so hard that tears ran down her face, "You guys all out did yourselves to throw me a huge party and just when it was planned to happen, I get terribly hurt and have a baby!"
"And that's supposed to be funny?" asked Princess Uranus skeptically. "I don't want to know." Princess Lady Serenity smiled and wiped the tears off her face, with her free hand. The other hand was around her daughter, tiny baby Elysion. Chosen Maiden...?
"Can I hold her so you can open you presents?" asked Neo Queen Serenity. She held out her hands to take the tiny bundle, but Princess Lady Serenity drew back like a selfish two year old.
"I want to hold her for just a little while more. Then you can try. Maybe she likes opening her own presents, it's her birthday, not mine." Neo Queen Serenity nodded impatiently.
"I'm too young to be a grandmother!" she moaned. Princess Lady Serenity laughed.
"And I'm too young to be a mother, but I am." 'Someday will she run around the palace, and when she trips and hurts her knee will she call out for her mommy, and then I'll come like a nice normal mother and fix her boo-boo? I can barely believe it, I'm a mother, a real mother...' Princess Lady Serenity smiled at the thought.
"Hellooooo?" a hand waved in front of her face and Princess Lady Serenity snapped out of the trance like daydream. "Princess Lady Serenity, are you in there?" Princess Saturn's voice asked sharply.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something...What do you want?" Princess Lady Serenity smiled again; she'd been smiling continuously since she woke up.
Princess Saturn motioned to the present that lay unopened on her lap. In an exasperated tone, she said, "Lisa's getting upset that you didn't open her present. She's going to cry, because you don't like it."
Lisa smiled and said "BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!" rather unconvincingly.
"Okay, we'll open it." Princess Lady Serenity shifted so that she was still covered by sheets, but leaning upright against the mound of pillows. She gently held her daughter in one arm, while using the other to roll the box closer. She turned it over until she found the seem where it had been taped. Slowly and clumsily with one hand, she tore the paper off, little by little.
Underneath, in a box was a set of bowls and bottles with a spoon that was sterling silver with a plastic tip. "I wasn't sure what you were going to name her, so I couldn't get the name engraved. It's already payed for, so I can go and get them to put her name on it now..."
"Oh, Lisa, thank you!!" Princess Lady Serenity threw her free arm around Lisa in a quick embrace. Helios quickly stepped in and wrestled Elysion out of Princess Lady Serenity's hands.
He gave her into Neo Queen Serenity's willing arms. Neo Queen Serenity gasped quietly as she looked into the baby's eyes. "She has her mother's face and body figure," she murmured, "but her father's eyes."
Helios replied, "And she has her grandmother's hair." When neo Queen Serenity looked up, he added, "Only less of it." Neo Queen Serenity smiled to herself and ran her fingers through the golden fuzz on her granddaughter's head affectionately. 'She does have my hair. I can't believe...I'm a grandmother!'
Princess Lady Serenity moved on to the next gift. And the next. Then the one after it. All the gifts were wrapped in a collage of amazing colors and designs, multicolored bows and one even was tied with a string of real pearls. Within two hours, they had reduced the mountain of presents into a huge pile of wrapping paper and about everything you need for a baby: near a year's supply of dippers and wipes, more bottles and bowls and spoons than they knew what to do with, a hand knit blanket, an entire wardrobe of tiny outfits, a crib liner, and a pyramid of baby food jars and boxes.
Helios pulled a huge box out from behind an instrument cart (they were in a hospital room), with a sly smile on his face. "Sneak!" Princess Lady Serenity called, wearily yet happier than she'd ever been in her life.
"It's not from me!" he protested, "Saros insisted on giving us a present. She wouldn't tell me what it is, either, but I have a feeling that John and Chris and them all know what it is..."
Princess Lady Serenity said, "Well, it's so big that it won't fit on the bed and I can't get up, can you open it?" Helios nodded, as the box stopped at the foot of the bed. He tore the paper off with expert ease. Her eyes followed his every movement unconsciously. "What is it?"
There was a big box underneath the paper. He opened it..."Oh my gosh! They didn't have to-"
"WHAT IS IT?!" The room itched with suspense and everyone, even King Endymion, wanted to know what their fiends in Elysion had sent for the baby. Helios lifted it out of the box and kicked the box away. Everyone oooed and ahhhhhed. But Princess Lady Serenity couldn't see.
"What is it?! I can't see. They moved aside enough for Princess Lady Serenity catch a glimpse of polished wood. Cherry to be exact.
"It's a cradle!" Helios called.
Then someone yelled, "There is something inside!" Helios looked down, and saw another, smaller box. It was pretty light as he picked it up and handed it to Princess Lady Serenity. A curious expression spread across her face.
"They didn't have to give so much!" she exclaimed. She untied the white bow on the box and tore at the white paper with words that said 'welcome into the sunlight, baby'. 'What a weird expression...did the choose it because of the fact that she may grow up to be...chose maiden...maybe...?' Princess Lady Serenity was puzzled and overly grateful as she lifted the lid to the box under the paper. And she gasped.
"What?!" called Princess Mercury, slightly alarmed. Princess Lady Serenity didn't answer. Helios leaned over and peered into the box, and her too gasped. Before them, folded neatly in the box, lay a tiny dress. Normally, she'd have called out her thanks. But something about the dress froze her She held it weakly up in the air.
"It's so beautiful! What's wrong with it?" asked/commented Princess Jupiter.
Princess Lady Serenity answered weakly, "That's just it, it's so beautiful." Not a lie, it was beautiful. But it was...so strange...The tiny dress was all white, even plainer than the moon princess dress she wore before getting her new dress a few months ago. It was so familiar...Then she recognized it. It was a smaller version of the dress that menards in Elysion wore. It was long, white, the front was a circle that started low, and the back started halfway down to the waist. A kind of an immodest dress, especially for an infant, but she was a princess, and that was what women in Elysion wore...even Saros wore this kind of dress, although some times she dressed like a normal young woman in comfortable clothes.
"This can be her princess-dress," she decided at once. "She's princess of the moon and Elysion, so her dress can be that of Elysion, it's close enough to ours that no one will care."
Helios smiled again. "Okay," answered Neo Queen Serenity, "It's truly beautiful, and she'll look darling in it. Now, we've got a little something, nothing big, to give her." Neo Queen Serenity nudged her husband, who reached into his shirt pocket and produced a tiny box, wrapped all in silver. He handed it to his daughter.
Curiously, Princess Lady Serenity opened it. What kind of gift would her parents give? It must be very expensive, because it was so small. When she saw what the treasure nestled inside was, she protested, "This isn't an expensive gift, it's priceless! You can't part with it!"
"We have no need for it anymore. The little princess will enjoy it." Neo Queen Serenity smiled weakly. She took the contents of the box with a shaky hand and began to wind the tiny moon locket/ watch for the last time. It held sentimental value to Neo Queen Serenity because long ago she and Mamoru had created the locket with their love power and it had saved them in their fight with Queen Beryl.
Then she put it around the baby's neck (she was still holding baby Elysion, but she was sleeping) and fastened the clasp in the back. Neo Queen Serenity carefully put the sleeping baby princess into her mother's arms. "I think that both of you need a rest now." Her voice was smooth and comforting, and Princess Lady Serenity realized that a nap sounded nice to her.
"A nap sounds...like a good idea...."
"Let's all go into the dining room, we can talk in there and let Princess Lady Serenity and Elysion sleep. They both need a rest," said Neo Queen Serenity. The guests immediately began to file out.
In a few minutes, the room was deserted except for Neo Queen Serenity, Helios, Princess Lady Serenity and Elysion. "Are you coming, Helios?" murmured Neo Queen Serenity.
"In a minute, I just want a few moments of quiet. Then I will be right there. Is that okay?"
Neo Queen Serenity nodded. "Of course. You and Princess Lady Serenity must be so happy. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you, my queen," he replied, almost sadly. With a shrug, Neo Queen Serenity followed her guests out the door, closing it behind her.
"We have much to discus."
"We do," repeated Princess Lady Serenity absently. "But, I'm too tiered to talk."
"You've been through a lot, but the worst is yet to come, I'm afraid. You can take a nap soon; you need your strength back. But first I need to talk to you."
"Okay, about what?"
"Queen Nehalania."
"Oh"
"She should be here any day now, could be here any day now. Any moment, from anywhere. The tiniest bit of lost dream will fuel her attack. Keep your head up and your dreams in your heart."
"Helios, where will she appear?"
Helios sighed and pulled a chair up close to the hospital bed. He reached out a hand to stroke his tiny daughter, but Princess Lady Serenity stopped him. "You'll wake her up,' she scolded. "Now answer my question, when and where will she appear?"
He sighed again. "I don't know. That is one of the worst things, not knowing. So we can't warn anyone and we don't know ourselves. But it will be soon, I've sensed a different aura in the air ever since your labor began. At first I thought it was just because you were in pain. But I think..." he paused, "I think ...it sounds weird, but I got the strangest feeling, I think she was feeding off your pain."
"How terrible! Witch, how dare she!" erupted Princess Lady Serenity.
"It was just feeling, but she does feed off of pain and lost dreams..."
"My dreams aren't lost, they are at last complete. I'm a maiden, I've found love, and I even have my own little family..."
"What are your dreams now?" Helios asked impulsively.
"My dreams now...to keep my new family safe and to destroy Queen Nehalania."
"Me too. And destroy her we must. Even trapping her again won't work, we have to find a way to stop her for good..."
All of a sudden, Princess Lady Serenity remembered something vital. "Helios!"
"What?" His face brightened.
"I had a dream, while I was having the baby. Well, I had a few. Most of them were memories of the good times in my pregnancy. But in the very end, I had a dream that was not mine..." Princess Lady Serenity retold the dream as best as she could...
"Darkness. The first thing that I was aware of was the total, complete darkness all around me. Consuming the pure light was the darkness. The darkness was evil...
NO! Not the dream again! How could I forget, for even a second the nightmare that had haunted me every night, making her dread the rising of the moon and setting of the sun?
Only, the dream was slightly different.
"Where did the moon go?" I tried to ask, but my voice wouldn't work. Then I saw... but didn't see... the source of the darkness...
I could make out the silhouette of a woman. Her hair was black. Her eyes shone an evil red color. And on her forehead was the mark that I, no Super Sailor Chibi Moon, knew all too well. The three dark, upside down crescent moons, symbol of the queen of the Dead Moon, Queen Nehalania.
I shivered in horror. I could see the evil queen standing right there. But unlike in my other dreams, no nightmares, I wasn't there, I could see but I couldn't act. It was like watching a terrifying movie.
Nehalania was standing there like in all of my dreams, but she wasn't holding Helios...she was holding...the golden crystal?! No, it was only...a pineapple?! What was going on?!
"Super Sailor Moon, catch!" A red haired girl wearing what would scarcely count as a bikini threw some thing through the air in a glittering arch to Super Sailor Moon. Super Sailor Moon?! What was she doing in the dream? Neo Queen Serenity hadn't transformed since ...almost a thousand years ago!
Super Sailor Moon caught the golden shining item. She looked at it for a moment and then with a determined face she held a golden colored crystal above her head. "Please lend my your power, golden crystal," she whispered.
The golden crystal?! Then at once, I remembered this. It was exactly what had happened before. Super Sailor Moon had taken the golden crystal from the Amazon Quartet and tried to use it but failed. It was dark because there was a solar eclipse.
As she remembered, the golden crystal shined, then the light like the sun flickered and went out. A sigh came from behind her as Super Sailor Moon let out a surprised and horrified cry.
Helios. It was so strange to see him, to see you, even in my dreams, as a child again. But what I found even more disturbing was the girl who sat beside him on the cold ground. If I hadn't been there in that same exact spot, I would never have guessed that I was staring at myself.
The tiny girl with pink hair and red eyes was so different...
Somehow stronger, though she was younger, a little girl with a big dream and her life ahead of her. She believed in her loved ones and trusted them with her life.
My life is in my own hands now, I realized then. And this is what I've done with it. Lie, sneak, and become pregnant way too early. Is this what I wanted...?
I couldn't answer that question.
I thought I knew what was going to happen, but nothing could prepare me for what was about to happen.
Super Sailor Chibi Moon moved to step up. But someone behind her stopped her. Instead of the young girl stepping forward to save the world, a different girl stepped forward.
She had long golden hair. Eyes as gold as the sun. Tall and thin, about thirteen. And she was wearing a super sailor fuku, all gold, even the bows, with a white bodice, white gloves trimmed with gold, a gold sailor collar and golden high-heel sandals.
She gently, but firmly took the golden crystal from Super Sailor Moon. It began to radiate golden light. "Who are you?!" Nehalania shouted.
"I am a princess yet a soldier, protected by moonlight with a beautiful dream, chosen maiden who holds the crystal that can melt the seal of the golden crystal. I am the chosen maiden, Elysion!""
Then Princess Lady Serenity became quiet, very quiet. "If that dream is true...it is so confusing. What does it mean? You said that the girl said she was the chosen maiden and that she was Elysion. But you also said she was 13, like in the rest of your dreams. And I know for a fact, that Queen Nehalania isn't waiting thirteen years to attack."
Princess Lady Serenity nodded to Helios. "I'm as puzzled as you are. It may have just been a dream"-she was very doubtful of this-"but I figured it was better to tell you something unimportant than not tell you something important."
"I have no doubt that it means something, but I have no idea what it means. Even if Queen Nehalania did wait thirteen years, I wouldn't grow backwards and neither would you or the others, and if it was just a memory, then why was Elysion there?"
"Hmmmm. I don't know." Princess Lady Serenity smiled. She was getting tiered, but she didn't want to say. After a few moments of silence, she finally said, "I really need a rest, I'm all worn out. Do you think you'd mind leaving for a little while? I'm sorry, but...I'm exhausted. Think about the dream, tell Saros and them. And thank them for the beautiful gift, from Elysion and me. I'll visit them soon, and-"
"It's okay, I'll thank them and give them your warmest welcome. I'll explain to them how you had a dream, and we'll spend hour upon hour straining our brains and pondering what's wrong. I'll come visit you tomorrow, okay sweetie? You and Elysion rest and get better."
"Mmmm" Princess Lady Serenity was half asleep.
"See you tomorrow." Helios leaned over and kissed his newborn daughter, a part of him that he loved almost as dearly as life itself, and then Elysion's mother, and silently left the room. He wandered down the deserted halls. He was planning to go to the dinning room (the grand hall where they had the lunch with Aaron in book 1), he really was. But something told him not to go, and he really didn't want to, so he didn't. Instead, he tread through Princess Lady Serenity's garden, a beautiful place covered in roses planted in different designs. He stepped carefully over a row of yellow roses so that he was standing inside of a formation that looked like a sun. It was the teleportation station to and from Elysion.
So he teleported quickly to Elysion, planning to go to sleep himself. Helios was in his own garden in a matter of seconds. He entered through an archway and followed the familiar halls of his home. 'I'll go tell Saros that everything is alright, she was very worried before, and I promised that I'd tell her what happened...' As soon as they'd gotten Princess Lady Serenity back to the palace, Helios had rushed back to Elysion to tell Saros what was happening. He'd left her in charge when he thought that Nehalania was coming. Everyone was relieved that it wasn't Nehalania, but worried about Princess Lady Serenity.
He walked directly into the room in which he and the others worked, sure that Saros and his other friends would be there. And they were. They all sat busily at work analyzing something on their computers. They looked up as they heard him enter. As he looked into Saros's eyes, an emerald green color, he found her tight and grim.
"It's okay you guys! Lighten up, Princess Lady Serenity-" Helios began to speak, and for the first time in history, the master of Elysion was cut off by another guardian.
"A traitor, a liar and a sneak working for the forces of evil." Saros was blunt, rude and totally serious.
Helios's mouth hung open. How dare she cut him off and more importantly accuse Princess Lady Serenity of such things? "Saros! How dare you?! Princess Lady Serenity never did any of those things! I've been with her all day; she had a baby you know! My little Elysion..."
"Helios, come here." Helios did as he was told. "Look at this computer, watch it and listen." She punched in a few commands and continued, "We were sitting here, messing around when all of a sudden, the computer's detected a faint negative vibration. We couldn't pinpoint it at first, but it grew gradually stronger, feeding off of pain and lost dreams. Until we could detect it. We know where it is, and where Queen Nehalania will enter this world."
"WHERE??!!" roared Helios.
"That's the bad part, for you anyway. As we were able to sense it easier, we could tell were it was coming from. There is a certain mirror that holds the queen of darkness, and it exists on the earth now. It is in the Crystal Palace. It hangs on the wall, guarding a secret door. The room belongs to Princess Lady Serenity."
***
Part8
Princess Lady Serenity awoke with a start. She was sure she'd heard a noise, and then felt someone sit on the end of her bed. She shot strait up in reflex, pulling the covers up to her chin protectively. "Good morning," Helios said stiffly.
Princess Lady Serenity ignored the tone of his voice and released her death grip on her sheets. "You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought you were-never mind. What are you doing here?"
Helios raised a suspicious eyebrow-he had a good idea who she thought he was. But instead of saying that, he said, "I was checking up on my daughter. I didn't want to wake you, because you'd be in a terrible mood. So, I just came in and took a peak at her. Pretty stupid of me to think you wouldn't wake up if I sat on your foot."
She forced a laugh and said play fully, "Well I'm in a horrible mood, so watch out!" She pealed off the sheets, slick with sweat, and climbed out. Without hesitation, she lumbered over to her wardrobe chest. She didn't care what Helios thought of her nightshift. Well, she did, but she wasn't embarrassed by it. So anyways, she dug around until she uncovered fresh clothes and her newly washed Princess dress.
Then she slowly made her way into the bathroom, still half asleep, and proceeded to fill the tub. She routinely dragged the lace partition around the bathtub and tried futilely to keep up a steady conversation.
"Can you stay with Elysion until I'm done? I have to take a bath and get dressed, but it won't take me too long. It would be a big help."
"Sure." Was it her imagination, or was he using one-word answers to get around talking to her? Normally, he'd say something like, 'So I'll be here until you get out of the bath tub at noon, right?' and she'd have laughed. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't help feeling that he was upset or suspicious of something, and she had no idea what.
Trying to take her mind off of it, she quickly slipped off the flimsy nightgown. Without meaning to, her eyes darted to her stomach. Right after the operation, her stretched flesh had been all baggy, but it almost magically shrank back to size. The scar were she'd had stitches was almost gone, the only trace was a line of skin a little pinker than the rest.
Of course it didn't happen over night. She'd been flat on her back for over a week. After that, the doctors had removed the stitches and told her to start walking again. At first, she was terrified that she'd split down the middle and her vital organs would fall out, but thankfully, her guts stayed where they were.
The first time she walked after the operation, it felt as if her stomach was on fire. But, little by little, it had gotten better, so that now, almost three weeks after her baby was born, she felt as good as new. She jumped into the half full tub, trying to keep her promise to Helios about being quick. She 'ahhhed' in pleasure, sinking into the warm, soapy water.
True to her word, the bath took her only twenty minutes. She washed, rinsed, and jumped out. Princess Lady Serenity tried hard to keep her mind absolutely blank, because the alternative was to think...and her conscience was to heavy with guilt for that.
But she thought. Princess Lady Serenity's mind ran over the fear, the horror, the guilt and the love locked up inside of her, so deep down that she could barely see them. That was the way she wanted it. Princess Lady Serenity figured that the only way to win the war, if there was a way, was to keep a strait head, but if her mind was thinking of fear and guilt than she'd never make it, she'd give into the emotions.
Like she could win the war. She knew that they would never win. Queen Nehalania would be here any day, any hour. She might be on her way right now. And Princess Lady Serenity knew that there was no way to win. They weren't strong enough. And even if Elysion was the chosen maiden, she was three weeks old!
Plus...she couldn't shake the feeling that Helios was upset about something, it seemed as if her didn't want to talk to her and didn't trust her any more. Ever since Elysion was born, he'd been quiet, grim and stiff. And Princess Lady Serenity had no idea why.
Princess Lady Serenity sighed as she wrapped a towel around herself. So much for the forget-your-problems-approach. How about face your fears? Say exactly what you are afraid of. "I know that Queen Nehalania will destroy everything, and there is nothing I can do to stop her. I have to sit here and wait. Elysion is too young to do much except get hurt. My poor little daughter is going to die before she lives and my kingdom will fall in heap before the evil queen. And most importantly, Helios doesn't trust me anymore and I don't know why. Maybe..."
Her mind dragged on. "Is it because...he doesn't care about me..." a little sob welled up in her throat..."all he wanted was the chosen maiden. And now he has her, so nothing else matters to him. Not even me."
Princess Lady Serenity quickly dressed, tears welling up in her eyes. 'How could I be so blind? He wanted the chosen maiden and not me. We were friends before...but that was over years ago, I mean nothing to him now...I am so stupid, so ignorant!' Then anger welled up in here. Without knowing it, she said aloud, "If he doesn't want me, he doesn't get my daughter."
Setting her mouth in a firm line, she marched out into the bedroom. She was dressed, but her hair was still wet and unstyled and she wore no makeup. Not that she cared. She marched right out into the room where Helios was gently holding a tiny pink bundle and said-
"It's not true." It wasn't Princess Lady Serenity, it was Helios. He spoke quietly, refusing to look at Princess Lady Serenity.
"What?!"
"You were talking out loud. I heard every word you said. It's not true, at least what you said about me."
He looked up with a sorrowful gaze. "You know you mean the world to me, no matter what. And the other part, about us losing the war and everyone dieing is a lie too. You said yourself that our love is stronger than this evil. And even if for some reason we don't win, she will be stopped some day, somewhere, once and for all. You swore it."
"You don't have to lie anymore Helios."
"What do you mean?" He seemed taken aback.
"You don't trust me. I can just sense it."
"Uhhh..." He said nothing. He just stared at Princess Lady Serenity, standing there with her hair dripping, her face unsmiling. For the first time he noticed the tears in her eyes. Regret? Or fear? He couldn't deny that he really didn't know who to believe... Saros had said that Queen Nehalania would appear in Princess Lady Serenity's room...And Princess Lady Serenity did say that there was a mirror blocking a secret door in her room.
The proof of her lies was there plainly for all to see-on the wall hung a big dark mirror. And it was almost exactly as he remembered Queen Nehalania's to be... "You don't have to deny that you don't trust me, because I know you don't."
Again he was unable to respond. Did she somehow hear Saros that night? How could she? She was asleep in the hospital! Her choked up voice cut through the silence. "I have been lying to you all along."
His heart stopped. He looked deep into the familiar crimson eyes. "Chibiusa," he finally spoke. What a strange thing to say..."My friend Chibiusa, where did she go?"
"Covered under layer upon lay of guilt and fear and misery lies the true Chibiusa, I am all that is left, and I'm trying...I'm fighting my hardest before the war's even begun. Growing up was my dream, but now I know that I was really happier before," Princess Lady Serenity replied absently, unaware of what she was saying.
"Helios, we won't win. I should have told you this in the beginning. I didn't want to but...we won't win. I'm not strong enough to face that again. I've lied to you...I wanted to protect you..."
"I know." He said those two words, but Princess Lady Serenity's head shot up and she 'came back' in a matter of speaking.
"What?!"
"I know that you've been lying." He couldn't look at her. Instead he looked down to his sweet innocent daughter. She had her life left to live, and she'd never ever done wrong. She didn't know war, evil, and hate. Without meaning to, he said, "She is the insurance."
"Yes. Maybe She can make up for my lies. I have to tell you Helios, I know where it is that Queen Nehalania will enter this world."
"Me too."
"HOW DID YOU KNOW???!!!" she screamed, breaking the misty aura around them.
"Saros found out. She sensed the evil generating..." he hestitated. "...from your mirror..."
Princess Lady Serenity nodded. 'IS THAT IT?! YOU CONDEM THE WORLD TO DARKNESS AND DEATH AND ALL YOU DO IS NOD?!' he wanted to yell. He wanted to scream, 'YOU ACKNOWLAGE THE FACT THAT BECAUSE OF YOU, THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE IS DOOMED, AND YET YOU DO NOT CARE?!' 'YOU SIDE WITH EVIL AND YET YOU DO NOT BEG FOR FORGIVENESS?! YOU SIT AND NOD AS IF EVIL IS ALL RIGHT!?'
"Helios...did you just say that? WHAT A DREADFULLY HATEFULL THING TO SAY!!!" The tears that she had been able to hold back streamed down her face.
"You heard that? But...I didn't say it...I thought it..." 'Maybe we share thoughts. Can you hear this?'
"Yes...I can hear you..." 'Can you hear me?'
"Yes. This is...strange...how did this happen?"
"I don't know...maybe it has something to do with..."
"Nehalania."
"I was going to say Elysion."
"I know."
"You can read my thoughts now too?" Princess Lady Serenity demanded.
Helios smiled. "It seems that way. I know what you're planning."
"Yes, but do you know my plan?"
"To shatter the mirror." Helios was blunt.
"Yes...It must be by the light of the moon, because my power comes from the moon, and because moonlight repels Queen Nehalania. She works during the eclipsed and new moons. Do you think you can come here tonight at exactly midnight and help me?"
She knew the answer before he said it. "Yes. I'll be here."
Princess Lady Serenity leaned over to take the tiny baby from Helios's arms. Elysion made a noise that could be taken as 'I want my mommy!' or as 'Who's taking my daddy away?' Princess Lady Serenity smiled, feeling slightly better, taking Elysion into her arms. But one thing pricked at her. "Helios, you don't really believe what you said, do you."
"Yes."
Her mind stopped. He still thought she was evil? Just because she didn't tell the whole truth about a stupid mirror on the wall in her room?!
"No!" said Helios, reading her thoughts. "I thought you meant about Elysion. You were looking at her and all...I said that she was the insurance. She insures that what you said is no lie. She insures the future and the past. She fights for the present..."
She looked into his eyes. 'You can't hide it Helios, I can read your thoughts and you eyes. You think I'm evil too because of the mirror...That's why I didn't tell you...' Princess Lady Serenity thought, knowing he'd hear.
"I..." He decided to put the strange new ability to a test. If she could see his thoughts, she might be able to see his direct memories...He closed his eyes, cutting off eye contact. But she could see into his mind and see the story unraveling...
***
"See you tomorrow." Helios leaned over and kissed his newborn daughter, a part of him that he loved almost as dearly as life itself, and then Elysion's mother, and silently left the room. He wandered down the deserted halls. He was planning to go to the dinning room (the grand hall where they had the lunch with Aaron in book 1), he really was. But something told him not to go, and he really didn't want to, so he didn't. Instead, he tread through Princess Lady Serenity's garden, a beautiful place covered in roses planted in different designs. He stepped carefully over a row of yellow roses so that he was standing inside of a formation that looked like a sun. It was the teleportation station to and from Elysion.
So he teleported quickly to Elysion, planning to go to sleep himself. Helios was in his own garden in a matter of seconds. He entered through an archway and followed the familiar halls of his home. 'I'll go tell Saros that everything is alright, she was very worried before, and I promised that I'd tell her what happened...' As soon as they'd gotten Princess Lady Serenity back to the palace, Helios had rushed back to Elysion to tell Saros what was happening. He'd left her in charge when he thought that Nehalania was coming. Everyone was relieved that it wasn't Nehalania, but worried about Princess Lady Serenity.
He walked directly into the room in which he and the others worked, sure that Saros and his other friends would be there. And they were. They all sat busily at work analyzing something on their computers. They looked up as they heard him enter. As he looked into Saros's eyes, an emerald green color, he found her tight and grim.
"It's okay you guys! Lighten up, Princess Lady Serenity-" Helios began to speak, and for the first time in history, the master of Elysion was cut off by another guardian.
"A traitor, a liar and a sneak working for the forces of evil." Saros was blunt, rude and totally serious.
Helios's mouth hung open. How dare she cut him off and more importantly accuse Princess Lady Serenity of such things? "Saros! How dare you?! Princess Lady Serenity never did any of those things! I've been with her all day, she had a baby you know! My little Elysion..."
"Helios, come here." Helios did as he was told. "Look at this computer, watch it and listen." She punched in a few commands and continued, "We were sitting here, messing around when all of a sudden, the computer's detected a faint negative vibration. We couldn't pinpoint it at first, but it grew gradually stronger, feeding off of pain and lost dreams. Until we could detect it. We know where it is, and where Queen Nehalania will enter this world."
"WHERE??!!" roared Helios.
"That's the bad part, for you anyway. As we were able to sense it easier, we could tell were it was coming from. There is a certain mirror that holds the queen of darkness, and it exists on the earth now. It is in the Crystal Palace. It hangs on the wall, guarding a secret door. The room belongs to Princess Lady Serenity."
***
"I don't know how you did that," Princess Lady Serenity gasped as Helios opened his eyes again, "But you have it all wrong. I knew that the mirrors looked similar. And I had a funny feeling...but I didn't lie. I was trying to protect you...and besides, I didn't know for sure that Queen Nehalania was in the mirror...she might not be..."
"She's there. You know in your heart, and the scanners in Elysion picked it up. And it was a lie, I asked you outright if you knew anything else about Queen Nehalania, and you said you knew nothing more. That's a lie," Helios answered, letting out the truth.
"Yes." Princess Lady Serenity said at last. With the tiny baby still in her arms, she sunk to the ground, landing hard on her knees. "But I'm not associated with the evil. Saros seems to think I'm Queen Nehalania's best friend. You know me Helios, if I knew for certain that Nehalania was there, I would have told you. I didn't want to sound stupid if I was wrong...And really I just wanted to deny the truth that Queen Nehalania is coming back, I didn't want to think that she's been safe in my room all this time..."
Helios looked at Princess Lady Serenity. The frail, tiny princess, strong in her own way. "You are the strongest, most trustworthy person I have ever known," he said after a long pause. "I can't believe I let what Saros chooses to think turn me against you..." He took a lock of her wet hair in his hand and played with it unconsciously. "I am so sorry, I should have trusted you... Can you find it in you to forgive me?"
"I can forgive you, if you can forgive my lies."
"Done."
There was a long pause as they sat there, on the floor of the bedroom. "Why don't I leave now and you can go about your business. I'll come back tonight. We can shatter the mirror together under the moonlight and Queen Nehalania won't stand a chance. Why didn't I see it before? Like your mom will miss one mirror out of a thousand."
Princess Lady Serenity nodded. She pulled herself back up into a standing position. "Say bye to daddy, Elysion," she cooed to the infant in her arms. Elysion smiled an adorable baby smile and started to drool.
"How cute. I gotta go now, but I'll come back tonight while you sleep, and then every day after that forever. We'll be able to be a happy, normal family after tonight." Of course Elysion didn't understand half of that, any of it actually, meant, but she laughed a silly baby laugh when her dad stood up and gave her a light kiss in the forehead. (Dads always kiss their kids when they are babies, but they stop when the babies reach about two years, unexplainable male behavior.)
Then he kissed Princess Lady serenity on the cheek. "Take care. I'll be back tonight."
"Helios?" she blurted, "Do you think I should tell my mother? I know I explained the whole 'she'll freak and then try to kill Nehalania signal handedly and die in the process' thing, but I feel like I should warn them..."
"No. We'll fix it tonight, and then there will be nothing to worry about." Princess Lady Serenity nodded, trying to believe this. "Until then," he finished formally, turning to leave.
'Love you. See you at midnight.'
'You too,' he answered in thought, not speaking aloud. Then Helios turned and walked out of the room, leaving Princess Lady Serenity and Elysion alone.
"Mommy's going to put you in your crib and go do her hair, then we can go see Neo Queen Serenity at breakfast." Princess Lady Serenity put Elysion down in her crib and went back into the bathroom to arrange her hair, now air-dried, into the two familiar odangos. She walked by the mirror and shot it the briefest look. She shuttered as she passed, it seemed to radiate evil energy...Little did she know that Nehalania was inside, laughing at her...
***
Inside the mirror, was another world, a tiny palace of darkness built over infinite bottomless pits. And on a narrow platform, stood a woman, dressed in black and dark green, with flowing black hair. She grinned evilly.
"The time for my revenge grows near! I finally have gathered enough power from pain and lost dreams to break free of this prison! My revenge on that moon brat Chibiusa will be sweet. Soon I shall become true queen as I was meant to, and I will destroy Chibiusa and the wretched guardian Helios. All I have to do is wait, wait until the time is right. I won't need to wait much longer..."
She laughed, "And I will owe much of my conquest to the same one who sealed me away...Chibiusa...Super Sailor Chibi Moon...I have drunk from her pain, and felt her lost dream power seep into me...She said herself, ' Covered under layer upon layer of guilt and fear and misery lies the true Chibiusa, I am all that is left, and I'm trying...I'm fighting my hardest before the war's even begun. Growing up was my dream, but now I know that I was really happier before,' what a silly dreamer. Her dream power was strong enough to control the golden crystal once, in her time of deepest pain and fear, but now she has what she wants and realizes the truth about dreams, they are worth nothing!"
Queen Nehalania whispered, "She is blinded by emotion, so that she can not see the truth. She doesn't see that her true dreams are bloodthirsty and that she has made the biggest mistake of all, one that will cost her dearly-tonight, there is no moon!!"
***
The day went by in a blur of routine. She fixed her hair and went to have breakfast with her mother and the other planet princesses. They all ate a lot and fussed over Elysion when they weren't gossiping about which servant was likely sneaking off to meet which chef or horse boy and such foolish talk.
After that, Princess Lady Serenity went into a special training with a nurse from the palace hospital that was supposed to get her body back into shape. That took a while, then she went to lunch, another pointless two hour affair.
Then she, Elysion and Princess Saturn spent the rest of the afternoon in the library. There Princess Lady Serenity said, "yes" "no" and "uh-huh" about a thousand times as Princess Saturn tried patiently to explain about some competition she was entering. She probably gave up in the end because she fell silent.
Princess Lady Serenity read a few books on ancient history but finally settled on a romance story-she liked them best, called "Crystal Clear." It was interesting. The plot consisted of a conceited Prince who searched the world over and over for the woman who he felt was the right one, worthy to marry him, but he couldn't find quite the right person. He returned home in defeat a year later. His childhood playmate, Sage her name was, helped to cheer him up, and her loyal friendship eased his pain and he soon fell in love with her. In the end they were married, the moral of the story was to explain that the perfect wife had been right in front of him all along.
Before she knew it, the afternoon was gone. They had dinner with the queen king and other princesses, a jolly meal that Princes Lady Serenity just couldn't enjoy. Then Princess Lady Serenity and Elysion were off to bed.
Throughout the whole day, Princess Lady Serenity felt sick with worry. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were forgetting something vital...But since she had no idea what was wrong, she ignored it as best she could, and tucked Elysion gently into the wooden crib that she had received as a gift from Saros. Saros...Princess Lady Serenity knew that Helios trusted her again, but Saros...she might believe that Princess Lady Serenity was a tool of Nehalania's, no matter what Helios said...
'It doesn't matter. After tonight, Saros wouldn't have to worry about Nehalania anymore; she'll be gone for good. We have the perfect plan...nothing can go wrong...' Princess Lady Serenity tried to tell herself, sighing nervously. What if something did go wrong...? No one but Helios and herself knew what they were doing, so if something happened, there would be no one to help...
"Oh stop being a baby, you aren't the infant here, Elysion is, and she's already sleeping." Princess Lady Serenity couldn't help the smile that slid across her face as she looked at the sleeping baby. Her baby. She reached in and stroked Elysion's golden fuzz...Such a sweet, innocent child...She couldn't be the chosen maiden, she was to kind and fragile for the war and horror she'd faced...
"I'll save you from that fate, my beautiful Princess. Helios and I will go tonight and rid the world of Nehalania. What happens at midnight will change your future for the better. You will never have to know, have to live with death and violence I will do anything to save you from that. Maybe a part of me, my only daughter, will be free at last to dream peacefully..." She kissed Elysion on the forehead before retiring quietly to her own bed...
***
She didn't mean to fall asleep, she really didn't...Princess Lady Serenity did fall asleep thought, by accident...and she did dream...Her dream, as unsettling as the same dreams that plagued her every night, was completely different than anything she'd ever dreamed before...
A blast of dark energy hit Super sailor Chibi Moon in the side before she could see it, before she could even dodge, the blow seemingly came out of nowhere. She was thrown back a few feet, screaming, but she wouldn't let her pride go that easily. Her muscles ached, but she forced them to move anyways, landing on one knee and fluidly rising back to her feet.
She was surprised that she didn't see it coming, and there was a tear in her sailor fuku, but she wasn't seriously hurt. "How dare you attack before I can introduce myself? My name's Super Sailor Chibi Moon, and I'm going to teach you some manors, creep!"
"Me too! I'm Super Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon and love and dreams, you're moon dust!" added a voice at Chibi Moon's right. Instinctively, she looked up to see Sailor Moon towering over her. Super sailor Moon smiled.
"Let's go Chibi Moon." Super sailor Chibi Moon nodded, preparing to use the Crystal Clarion to call Pegasus. But before she could the monster called, "Pakanuki-chan!" and charged at the sailor senshi waiting, ready to fight, behind their leaders.
Pakanuki-chan was a Lemure, the reincarnation of a nightmare into living form, a virtually evil creature. Each Lemure was different, as each nightmare is different. Pakanuki-chan was a lady doll, blown up to full size, wearing a skimpy army uniform and carrying a big gun.
She jumped at the defenseless and unprepared senshi like lighting and called quickly "Ready, aim, FIRE!!" shooting the gun at Super Sailor Mars, hitting her full in the stomach.
"MARS!" yelled the other senshi.
"Ready, aim, FIRE!!" replied Pakanuki-chan, shooting again, this time at Super Sailor Venus. She tried to doge, but the gun was too fast, and she too fell to the ground.
"Be alert!" warned Super Sailor Jupiter, just as Pakanuki-chan fired at her. She, however, dodged it quick enough so that it mutilated...a couch? The dream was getting weirder and weirder...Fighting inside...
"Ready, aim-" Pakanuki-chan was ready to fire again. She raised the gun and yelled, "FIRE!" A lamp was broken as Super Sailor Jupiter narrowly missed being destroyed. As if in a frenzy, Pakanuki-chan screamed, nearly hysterically, "READY, AIM-"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!!"
Super Sailor Mercury hit Pakanuki-chan wit a blow of ice from her Mercury Harp. As soon as she recovered, however, Pakanuki-chan directed her fury at Super Sailor Mercury. "FIRE!!" Mercury was unable to move away and was knocked, screaming, to the floor to join her friends.
"Jupiter Oak Eval-"
"READYAIMFIRE!!"
Jupiter was unconscious before she knew what hit her. The attack left her hardly breathing, while Pakanuki-chan was breathing heavily, but not defeated yet. She straitened her uniform as if nothing had happened and turned calmly to Super Sailor's Moon and Chibi Moon. "READY. AIM. FI-"
"Waaaaaahhhhhhh!" screamed Super Sailor Moon. "Chibi Moon, do something.
"I'm trying," she screamed back, holding the Crystal Clarion high. "Crystal Twinkle-"
Before she could say 'bell' and call Pegasus for help, Pakanuki-chan recognized the powerful weapon and decided not to let Chibi Moon use it to get help.
"FIRE!" She aimed at the Crystal Clarion and knocked it out of Chibi Moon's hand. It clattered to the floor and skidded out of reach.
"PEGASUS! NO! My crystal clarion!"
"Now what?"
"I don't know! I can't call Pegasus so we can't fight back..."
"Use ESP or something, he's a flying horse, he should know when we're in trouble!"
"USAGI! I DON'T KNOW ESP!!!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon's voice was frantic. 'What can I do! She's gonna fire again...!'
"READY! AIM FIRE!!!"
Just as Chibi Moon and Super Sailor Moon screamed and shielded themselves with their arms, sure that they would be hit, a signal red rose flew through the air, as quiet as night, stopping the oncoming fire ball.
"TUXEDO MASK!!" both girls screamed as the attack disappeared and the rose hit the floor. They didn't even see him, but they knew that no one else was crazy enough to throw a rose at a giant Barbie doll with a scary looking gun.
"What?!" bellowed Pakanuki-chan, looking up, obviously outraged at yet another disturbance. "Who did that?!"
"Me!" announced a voice from the shadows. Then a dark figure coiled and jumped gracefully into the 'battlefield' from the windowsill of the 3rd story apartment.
'Third story apartment? How did I know that? Where are we...? What's happening, why am I small?' Princess Lady Serenity's mind was surfacing; the dream would end soon now.
"I am Tuxedo Mask, defender of innocent girls and dreams. How dare you disturb these peacefully sleeping girls?"
Pakanuki-chan cocked a doubtful eyebrow. "Just how long were you sitting there, doing nothing while the other 'innocent' girls were getting slaughtered?" She motioned to the unmoving senshi, still out cold from the gun attacks.
"Long enough to know that what you are doing is wrong, and to decide to teach you a lesson!" With that, Tuxedo Mask leaped at the lemure, pulling a cane from his cape and aiming at his opponent.
Pakanuki-chan caught his movement, and his cane, pulling a long, silver etched sword from a leather sheath at her waist. Super Sailor Moon gasped as sword hit cane. The noise of the impact echoed through the apartment, freezing both girls in place.
After a few minutes of the back and forth no win battle, Chibi Moon gathered enough wits to realize that she had to find the crystal clarion. Tuxedo Mask was fighting as hard as he could, but he was tiring quickly. He couldn't hold out much longer.
'I have to get the crystal clarion so that I can call Pegasus to come and save everyone!' Chibi Moon rose to her knees catiously trying to find the crystal clarion without Pakanuki-chan seeing her. Keeping her eyes on the fighting monster, Super Sailor Chibi Moon cralwed into the shadows, feeling for her magical trinket with her hands.
She edged behind a bed, where she expected the Crystal Clarion had falled when Pakanuki-chan knocked it from her hands.She took a deep breath. Pakanuki-chan and Tuxedo Mask were out of sight for the moment. Unfortunatly, almost everything was out of sight-there were no lights on, it was pitch black in the apartment.
Super Sailor Chibi Moon began to search again by touch alone, her fingers running over everything. Finally, she found the tiny bell mounted on a heart shaped handle. Her fingers wrapped protectivly around it... She felt a strong had reach out and grab her shoulder!
***
"WAKEUP!" whispered a harsh voice in her ear.
"WHAT!!??" shrieked Princess Lady Serenity. Instantly a hand clapped over her mouth.
"Shhh! You'll wake everyone up!"
"Huh?" Princess Lady Serenity shot up, her eyes wide. "Pakanuki-chan?" she whispered through the hand covering her mouth. It was all dark, but she was back in her own room in the palace, where she lived with Elysion, not in Mamoru's apartment. "Was that Mamoru's apartment? Or jut an apartment?"
"There's no one here named Pakanuki-chan, and this is the palace, King Endymion hasn't lived in an apartment for centuries. It's me, Helios." Princess Lady Serenity looked up and sighed.
"I...thought you were Pakanuki-chan, sorry, I was having a weird memory of something that never happened, like before, and there was this lemure...forget it. What RE YOU DOING HERE? What time is it?"
He actually smiled. "Don't you remember anything? It's midnight. I'm here because we planed to meet tonight to..."
"Destroy Nehalania's mirror! I'm so sorry I forgot! I didn't mean to fall asleep!" Princess Lady Serenity covered her mouth with both hands. A gasp escaped as she repeated, "I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, I almost fell asleep too. Let's just get going, the sooner this is done, the better. Later you can tell me about your dream." Helios took his hand off of Princess Lady Serenity's shoulder and stood up., motioning for her to do likewise.
Princess Lady Serenity had left her clothes on, so when she stood up, she was fully dressed and her hair was up. She looked completely normal, if not more beautiful in the dim light. "What about Elysion? There is no way I am leaving her alone for even a second."
Helios thought for a moment. "I guess we'll have to bring her, I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone, don't worry, I forgot is all. I think I can carry the mirror by myself, all we need is to get outside, we can use the garden, the moonligt reaches there."
Princess Lady Serenity nodded and rummaged through the wardrobe cabinet for a tiny bright yellow coat for Elysion and a larger, white sweater for herself. After slipping into the sweater, she picked up Elyson as gently as possible and put the coat on her, buttoning it tight against the bitting cold air outside.
Elysion gave a little cry as she woke up. Frantically, Princess Lady Serenity fed her a 'binkey'to keep her quiet. She sucked at it and the crying dwindled to a soft coo. Princess Lady Serenity clutched the priceless bundle close to her breast and whispered, "Okay."
Helios was inspecting the mirror, his eyes shone ominously. "The mirror must be removed from this world, the sooner the better."
"Okay," Princess Lady Sernity repeated. "It's not excesivly heavy, I move it to get into the secret room. I think that you should be able to carry it the short distance."
"Get the door." Helios easily lifted one corner of the mirror. He shifted the weight and lifted it bit by bit off the ground. It was big, and probably very heavy, but he didn't complain. Instead, he moved toward the door, which Princess Lady Serenity hurried to open.
'I feel horrible making Helios carry that big heavy mirror...but I have to be in the moonlight to break it right...' Princess Lady Serenity sighed as she and Helios made their way down the hall. She was so nervous! 'What could happen?' She wasn't sure she wanted to know.
It took them only ten minutes to drag the huge mirror from Princess Lady Serenity's room to the private garden that was hers. She chose the place not only because it was close, but because it was a private garden where no one usually went at midnight and she believed that her own moon power would work best there, the moonlight that shone there was her own.
"It's dark," she muttered to herself as she walked through the arch. Suddenly, a shiver fled up her spine, and Princess Lady Serenity stopped dead in her tracks. She had the strangest feeling...that someone was watching her...Princess Lady Serenity turned to search the dark hall behind her. She saw no one, but she still couldn't ignore the feeling that someone was watching her...
"You coming?" called Helios up ahead, setting the mirror on the ground in the center of the garden, near the fountain that flowed even now, while no one was there to see it. He smiled at her, his face lighting the night.
'He's so kind, so good. He didn't even question me when I asked him to drag that heavy thing out here...He believed me to be one of the enemy, and still he followed me faithfully... Helios, you were right, we'll beat her...'
"Hello? Zoned out girl? You still in there?"
Princess Lady Serenity smiled in response, jogging over to him, carefully holding Elysion in her arms. "You sound just like Princess Saturn. But I'm sorry, I thought...never mind, let's do it." He nodded seriously. But then a goffy grin spread across his face.
"How? Do we just snap it in two?" Princess Lady Serenity realized that she had no real plan.
"Um..." she stuttered. "Well, I think we should...use the moon to destroy the dark moon, right? Light defeats darkness? I can do it, will you hold Elysion?"
Helios nodded solemly, reaching out to gently take the sleeping infant from her. He held her as carefully as priceless china, because she meant the world to him. He watched as his wife (almost) stood, bracing herself in front of the mirror, which was propped up on a bench.
He sighed, fidgeting. The answer was so painfully simple, so very easy that it was stupid of them not to think of in before. Break Nehalania's mirror and she would surely die. Why hadn't they thought of it before? Something about it being so easy seemed wrong to him, it was too easy, something would backfire...there was something they hadn't thought of...
Princess Lady Serenity braced herself for the surge of power that she hadn't felt in years, the moon power rushing through her, the adrenaline before a fight. But this was no fight, this was victory. "I call upon the moon. Lend me your light and help me to vanquish this evil before it can destroy our world of peace and happiness! I know that it is destiny that our world lay in shatters, so I wish to change the future, I will presurve and protect!"
Princess Lady Serenity's eyes were closed as she said this. It was a speech of sorts, convincing the moon to lend it's power to her once again. She would stand and fight for dreams, reach out to take the moon broach, take a stand this one last time.
She felt a wind rising. It swirled madly about her, but her eyes remained closed. She knew that it was an unnatural wind, she had caused it by commanding such great power all at once. Air blew in her face, pushing away stray hairs and causing her pigtails to dance in the wind. This was good, her power was growing. She could tell, without seeing that her body was surrounded by an aura of pink light, her pink moon power, growing in intensity by the second.
At last, the pink light was so great that it hurt her closed eyes. That was more than enough power to call the Crystal Clarion. Princess Lady Serenity raised her right hand (she was right handed, I think) high above her head, grasping the air. At once, a tiny silver bell on a pink, heart shaped handle appeared, floating in the air. She grabbed it firmly in her hand, and the lights narrowed to just the area surrounding the bell, but the intensity tripled.
Princess Lady Serenity took a deep breath. It was now or never. And never wasn't an option. "I will rid this world of the evil queen!" she yelled. Princess Lady Serenity's shining ruby eyes flicked open. They were unafraid and determined. She looked at the mirror that leaned on the bench in front of her. Legs spread for balance, she yelled "Nehalania, die!"
Then She cried her most powerful attack, in defense of dreams and her world, she roared, "MOON COSMIC DREAM ACTION!!!!!!!"
Part9
Princess Lady Serenity held on for dear life as the light, which had been blinding before, tripled ten times over; a super nova of pink light that cut across time and through space, all reason was lost to it's brightness. No one and nothing could stand against it. Especially the queen of darkness.
She held on until, at last, the power was to strong for her inexperienced body. Perhaps Neo Queen Serenity could have done it, with all her experience fighting with her imperium silver moon crystal. But she didn't posses enough of the right power-her power fought for justice while Princess Lady Serenity fought for dreams.
In any case, Princess Lady Serenity held on until she was sure Nehalania was dead, held on even after that, but at last the power was too out of control. She was forced to let go.
The Crystal Clarion slipped out of her grasp. She screamed without meaning to, and lunged at it, but her trembling hand missed it by millimeters. "Noooo!" she yelled, as she fell to her knees trembling all over, shaking uncontrollably. But the queen was gone...why was she so upset?
Princess Lady Serenity bit back foolish tears and sat back on her heals. The crystal clarion suddenly disappeared, and with it the pink light. As darkness surrounded her, she let out a gasp. The light that hurt her eyes seemed so beautiful now in the total darkness. She tried, shakily, to stand up on her own two feet.
Of course she stumbled, but at last she was able to stand up. She found her footing and stumbled in Helios's direction. "Helios? Helios! I did it! I did it! But, Helios...I can't see...anything!"
"Little Chibiusa..." he muttered.
"Stop it right now, you. I'm not little anymore, and no one calls me Chibiusa. So you can't either. Give me Elysion, she needs to go to bed."
He totally ignored her requests. "Tiny innocent, sweet child. Full of dreams and light. You aren't a soldier, not a true senshi at all. Not a fighter."
"Helios? What are you talking about? I am a senshi, and everyone knows it. You aren't funny, so stop." She stressed every syllable differently, sounding like a teen talking to her overprotective mother with an attitude. Capital A.
"Chibiusa..." Princess Lady Serenity muffled a gasp as he found her in the dark and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You are the strongest fighter I know. You would never give up without a fight. But this time...you messed up. You messed up bad."
"WHAT?! Helios, are you okay?" she fairly yelled.
"I mean that no matter how brightly that clarion shined, it wasn't enough. Instead of saving our world, Chibiusa-chan, you sealed it's fate. Instead of destroying Nehalania, you released her."
"WWWHHHHAAATTT???!!!" Princess Lady Serenity cried. "HELIOS, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" She snatched Elysion from him, half angry half scared to death. Then she pulled back. "You might think that's funny, but I think it's sick. Nice joke."
She spun on her heal, and started to walk away. 'I know I destroyed her, I know it. I felt the power, I...Know I messed up. Somehow...Helios sensed it too...? Something isn't right...I didn't use the Crystal Clarion right? How come...I sense Nehalania...stronger than ever now, after she's supposed to be dead?'
She knew it too. She'd sensed even as she let go. Nehalania wasn't dead. She was alive! "NO! I KILLED HER! I KILLED HER, I KILLED HER IKILLEDHER!!!" Princess Lady Serenity raged out loud. She stopped suddenly. "I did kill her, didn't I Helios?" It was an innocent question, but he could not answer it.
"She's still alive, isn't she? I let go too soon. Just say it! I'm a failure! I'll do it again, just speak to me!"
"NO! You can't!" were his first words. Her eyes were adgusting to the darkness again. She would have to use the clarion again...If at first you don't succeed, try try again.
"Why not. I have to hurry, before she breaks free! I have to, I will do it this time, I promise." She walked forward to where she could make out the mirror's shape. It was unscrached. 'I have to beat her. I can't let go this time. I have to...' Then, all of a sudden, she gasped sharply.
'What was that? I thought I saw...something...move...inside the mirror!' Princess Lady Serenity looked closely and said to herself, 'It's Nehalania! She's coming!'
Out loud, she called, "MOON COSMIC DREAM ACTION!!" There was no powering up process this time, the crystal clarion appeared and began to glow furiously pink. Princess Lady Serenity gripped Elysion in one hand, the clarion in the other, and her eyes were glued to the mirror. The two glowing, red, ovals that were coming ever closer...
"CHIBIUSA NO!!" screamed Helios, rushing at her. He tried to stop her, to take the Crystal Clarion, or at least baby Elysion, but for the first time ever, Princess Lady Serenity fought him. She threw her beloved Helios easily to the ground.
"This is it, Helios, don't fight me or I swear to high heven-" she paused. "Nehalania is right there, insoide the mirror, fool. If I don't do something, she'll break out. Helios, I know what I'm doing!" With that she added yet move power to the clarion.
It blinded, her, forcing her to close her eyes. Elysion began to scream, and Princess Lady Serenity couldn't stop her. Helios got to his feet again, determined. He threw himself at her, still trying to tear the clarion away. She knocked him to the ground again. "JUST STOP IT I NEED TO CONCENTRATE!!!"
The pink light hit the evil mirror full force, and this time Princess Lady Serenity refused to give in to the pain. She held it anyway, though it felt as though her arm was being torn off.
She though it was all worth it when a loud CCCRRRAACCCCCKKKK split the air, a tiny shard fell from the mirror, and a jagged line ran up it. 'I am doing it!' though Princess Lady Serenity. It cracked again, and again. The mirror was splitting into hundreds of shiny, sharp pieces, each razor edged and deadly. Th mirror was nearly gone before Princess Lady Serenity knew it.
"Helios," she cried madly to the sky, "I did it! I did it!"
But he pulled himself half up, breathing heavily and sent her a sour look that she couldn't see. "Don't be so blind, Princess Lady Serenity. Don't tell me you were to childish to sense it?! You shattered the mirror all right, and your foolishness realessed Queen Nehalania into this world!!"
Princess Lady Serenity wasn't sure she heard right. 'He keeps saying that, I released her. Is it true? Did breaking the mirror release Nehalania? And was I too blind to sense it? Is he right?' Princess Lady Serenity immediately powered down, and the glowing stopped. But all was not dark.
Instead of the beautiful pink light flowing from Princess Lady Serenity, a new source radiated sickly red light, illuminating the garden and sending shadows dancing around between the flowers. Princess Lady Serenity dropped the crystal clarion, which clattered solidly on the ground before disappearing. She gasped quietly this time, eyes wide with disbelief.
No it was not possible. It was a nightmare. She had not just dammed her whole world to hell, sentenced all her people to eternal, dreamless darkness. It had not happened. She had not just hurt Helios for trying to stop her from releasing a plague on her people. It was just not real.
'I will close my eyes and when I open them again, she will be gone and it will be light out.' Princess Lady Serenity closed her eyes, frozen in place. But when she opened them, the wicked person still standing there in front of her, a horrific sight that made her want to cry.
Queen Nehalania was seemingly oblivios to everything around her. She streched her hands above her head, and rolled her neck idly. She blew up the remains of the mirror with a single blast of black power, as if just testing her power. She smiled evil and then turned to face Princess Lady Serenity.
Like a deer in the headlights, Princess Lady serenity froze under the icy gaze, fell into Nehalania's spell. She didn't even blink as Nehalania's eyes caught hers in a powerful stare. Then Nehalania smiled.
In a voice that Princess Lady Serenity remembered all to well, Nehalania whispered. "Thank you. You have set me free. Silly girl, you shouldn't have doubted me, you should have run while you could, I said I'd be back. Here I am."
"Nehalania...why...didn't I destroy the mirror?"
Nehalania laughed a high, evil laugh. "Foolish girl. I know you. I know everything about you, I've been watching you, Chibiusa. I know you and I know that I will get my revenge on you and that flying wretch. How very fortunate you came together, to make it all that much easier to destroy you!"
"Cut the crap, why couldn't I beat you?" Princess Lady serenity tried to sound mad. She knew that only hate overpowers fear. She had to hate Nehalania not to fear her. It wasn't too hard.
"You made the biggest mistake in your life. Foolish girl, I escaped right under your nose! You set me free! Didn't you pay any attention to the dreams? This will cost you dearly."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" screamed Princess Lady Serenity in a cold fury.
"Tonight," Nehalania said slowly, "there is...no moon! The darkness of the crescent rules this night! I will destroy you, Chibiusa, you and your little friend Helios will fall to me!"
Princess Lady Serenity clutched Elysion close to her. 'THERE IS NO MOON! WHAT A FOOL! She's going to kill us! I knew it...Tonight is the night without the moon's light, she has power over everything, I will be dead before dawn. I must accept it. I made the mistake...I will pay the price...'
"Doing the math, eh princess? You finally realizing that there is no way to win against me? You and Helios and that little brat of an offspring you've managed to create will all die, tonight," Nehalania laughed.
Princess Lady serenity gasped. 'She knows about Elysion?!' "Don't think I didn't know about your precious daughter! The little monster, I should destroy her first, after all, she's like both of the people I hate most! She won't survive either, you can be assured!!"
"How did you..." Princess Lady Serenity muttered weakly.
Nehalania motioned to a bird like thing fluttering at her side. A single red eyeball, with tiny black wings. Zircon! 'He was there when Elysion was born...he was spying on me...and scared comet...'
"NNNOOOO!!!!!" Princess Lady Serenity shrieked. She could hold in the pain she felt realizing her own death, her friends deaths, the deaths of everyone she knew. But she wouldn't accept it for her daughter. Her little chosen maiden Elysion. The thing she loved most, the brightest spark in her world.
"How dare you, you monster! Stealing dreams from innocent children, I won't allow it! If you want to hurt me daughter or Helios, or anyone in this world, you have to fight me first!!"
"Fine!" Nehalania chalenged heatedly. It was almost funny, not ten minutes after she was released, Nehalania would start her revenge. They always say, no time like the present. Princess Lady Serenity braced herself against Nehalania's attack. Nehalania was the strongest adversary she'd ever faced.
Nehalania wasted no time. She rose a hand, palm up, facing at Princess Lady Serenity. It glowed black. A ball of dark energy formed in her palm, growing by the second to about the size of a tennis ball. 'This is it, I'm stuck! I can't fight holding Elysion...' Queen Nehalania smiled. It was so weird, being killed by a ghost, so it seemed-to her Nehalania was dead. She closed her eyes, and tried to back up, but she was cornered by the harp, knee high rose bushes.
"Goodbye, Chibiusa-chan!" she yelled triumphantly, launching a powerful attack about ten feet away. It flew strait or her..."MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!!!!!" She had no idea what was going on, but Princess Lady Serenity instantly recognized the attack. A kaleidoscope of colors hit the bark ball from the side, stopping it only a foot away from Princess Lady Serenity and Elysion.
"Super Sailor Moon!" the trembling princes yelled, turning in the direction that the attack had come from. To her surprise, not only Super Sailor Moon, but Super Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn stood in the shadows, grouped together, posed for crime-fighting.
"H...How did you all find me? " she stuttered. Princess Lady Serenity was shaking badly. That was close. And she wasn't exactly sure where Helios was...He wasn't in her sight...
Super Sailor Moon placed a silent hand on Super Sailor Saturn's head. Princess Lady Serenity realized that she held her head looking down, guilty. She refused to look at her. 'Saturn...spied on me and then told my mom?!' Princess Lady Serenity would have been mad, but Saturn had really saved her life..."You have to get out of here! Now!" Princess Lady Serenity exploded. They couldn't try to destroy Nehalania...it wouldn't work!!!
"Are you kidding? You want us to leave you to die out here? We'll take out the trash, and then you have some serious, serious explaining to do, and that's that. I don't care if you don't want our help, because you are getting it!!" Super Sailor Moon cried. Then turning to the awestruck Nehalania, she yelled, "You remember me, don't you? I'm Super Sailor Moon, senshi of love and dreams, and I will destroy you once and for all! I have no idea what you are doing in my palace, but it doesn't matter, because you are moon dust!"
Nehalania looked...shocked. "Neo Queen Serenity?! How on earth...It doesn't matter, not even you can stop me! Didn't you know? The power of the white moon doesn't shine during the new moon, when the dark moon is in the sky! You have no power over me, Queen Nehalania of the dark moon!"
Super sailor Moon stared. "The moon?! It's...a new moon...there is no white moon in the sky! Curse the darkness!!!" Nehalania smiled. She raised her hand again, and pointed at Super Sailor Moon and the senshi. Instantly, a dark energy ball flew out, heading for the group.
"MOM! GUYS! NO!!!" Princess Lady Serenity screamed. But she didn't have to worry yet, they flipped easily out of the way. Princess Lady Serenity was so intent on watching, horrified, that she nearly screamed as a cold hand clapped over her mouth. She turned fast to see-Helios! "You're alive!" she cried, but it came out as a muffled whisper.
"Give me Elysion, you have to help fight! Protect our kingdom, the world of pure dreams! You have to hold her off until morning, tonight her power is at it's peak and that of you and your mother is at it's low point, but you have to hold her off until morning! Transform and help them, Chibiusa!"
Princess Lady Serenity turned to look at her friends, busy dodging attacks and staring at Nehalania with hate. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" Super Sailor Mars yelled, sending a flaming arrow at Queen Nehalania, with almost no effect. No one was watching as she leapt over the rose bushes, to join Helios on the other side.
She pulled close to him and said, "I have to help them, you are right. But you have to promise me, no matter what happens, Elysion will survive, she is our insurance. Do whatever you have to, to keep her safe, do you hear me? If I...don't make it...no matter what Nehalania does to us, to our world, Elysion will survive. If you have to...if things get real bad...you have to...send...her...away...understand...?" Princess Lady Serenity couldn'y help the tears on her face as she instructed Helios to send her beloved daughter to another time where she would never see her again...
"We might not survive this war, but some where, some how, she will be stopped and the dreams of Earth's people will be safe. You said almost the exact same thing yourself, and it's true. I will keep Elysion safe. She will survive, even if we don'. But we will, our love is stronger than this evil, Chibiusa. Don't cry." He took Elysion from her, and tenderly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Don't call me that, I'm not little anymore," she protested softly, slowly, tenderly. Helios gave her a soft kiss, holding her close. She was lost in the ecstasy of the moment. She would never forget that sweet, tender kiss, the last they would ever share.
Finally she pulled away. "Remember. Remember...everything." And she leapt back over the rose bushes. Princess Lady Serenity couldn't resist the urge to look back, and take a finally glance at her whole world, her husband (almost!) and her sweet, innocent daughter, Elysion. The baby was awake, but silent. Her big golden eyes shone with wisdom beyond her years. "Goodbye..." Princess Lady Serenity knew that it would be the last time she would ever see them.
"MOON CRISIS MAKE UP!!!" Princess Lady Serenity said the words instantly. They were so familiar, although it had been seven long years since she had taken arms against evil, transformed into super Sailor Chibi Moon.
The Chibi Moon Broach that she had pinned, instinctivly, in the bow of her dress that night before she fell asleep began to glow with light, then exploded in pink ribbons. The ribbons surrounded her, becoming a tight, white, body suit, with bows at the breast and on the lower back (you know what I mean) and a white pink and yellow skirt. There was a pink sailor collar, pink boots that came to her knee, long white gloves trimmed in pink, a choker with a heart on it, special hair clips and a golden tiara. Then the light died and she was done. Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
She was Super Sailor Chibi Moon, but she was different. Super Sailor Chibi Moon was tiny, but this Chibi Moon was an adult. It was the first time she had tramsformed since she had changed. 'I would have died to look like this a few years ago. Now I would give anything to be small again. I don't want to have to fight, I'm not strong enough!!' Then, Super Sailor Chibi Moon told herself, 'Too bad. You have to beat Nehalania and that's that.'
She took a deep breath..."Yo, over here!!!"
Nehalania, who had been powering up another attack to send at Super Sailor Venus, who was also about to attack, stopped short. Every one stopped what they were doing. "That's right! Look at me! I'm Super Sailor Chibi Moon, protecter of love and dreams, and defender for innocent dreamers, and I am here to punish you ahead of time for trying to destroy Crystal Tokyo!"
"So you finally managed to grow up,Chibi Moon. Well it won't help you at all! I would never doubt the dreams of an innocent child, but you've grown up and lost your dreams, they will never come true now! I will crush you all that much easier!"
"You have no clue what you're saying! I have beautiful dreams,but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I destroy you!"
Nehalania smiled wickedly, an evil grimace that had been plastered onto her face all night long. Her voice was black ice as she said, "Then let us fight, fair and square. You and your senshi against me and my dark power!!"
Without hesitation, Super Sailor Chibi Moon answered "You're on! Right here, right now, we'll shove your face in the dirt!" She pointed dramatically at the ground.
Super Sailor Moon and the senshi amazingly agreed to the fight. 'I can't involve them! They have no idea what they are up against! She'll kill them!' "No, wait! We'll have our duel, Nehalania, I'm not backing out. But the senshi aren't part of the deal, me and you alone. I won't have them killed trying to help me!" Nehalania knew what was running through my mind then. I wouldn't be held responsible for their deaths.
"We're helping, Chibi Moon. Together we can beat her!" insisted Super Sailor Jupiter.
"No, together we'll die. I won't let all of you die trying to help me! Nehalania's going to kill us!!"
"We're you friends, Chibi Moon. We won't let you fight alone. Like it or not, we're helping you beat her," said Super sailor Saturn, not taking no for an answer.
"That's right," echoed Super Sailor Moon. The other senshi nodded.
"Then be ready to die, fools!" yelled Queen Nehalania. She raised her hands above her head, palms facing each other, then brought them to chest leval. Finally she thrust them out at the senshi, creating a black beam.
The leaped out of the way with minimal injury. It was then that Chibi Moon realized that they already had a few cuts and tears in their fukus-from the fight earlier. 'I can't let them get hurt...I have to destroy her!'
Chibi Moon raised an arm, then stopped, dumbfounded. 'I can't attack without Super Sailor Moon and Helios! What do I do?' she asked, not really expecting an answer.
'Raise your hand and take the Crystal Clarion. Yell 'Crystal Twinkle Bell' and you will attack, but it will be a new attack that will help you destroy her!' Super Sailor Chibi Moon gasped.
'What-who said that!!!'
'Me, remember? Helios? We mind linked, I heard your thoughts. Go ahead and attack, I'll lend you my power!'
Chibi Moon nodded, then thought, 'Right!' She raised her hand again, grasping the air. The Crystal Clarion appeared in her hand, shimmering slightly. Taking a deep breath and aiming at Nehalania (who was busy throwing energy attacks at a cornered Super Sailor Neptune) she yelled determinedly, "CRYSTAL TWINKLE." She paused as everyone turned to stare. "BELL!!!!!"
Instead of the light attack, or the usual ringing of bells to call Pegasus, the senshi preformed a new attack. In a storm of flying white feathers, a pink beam came from the moon symbol on the bell, a solid pink line smashing into Quen Nehalania.
At first, Nehalania yelled in protest, and possibly pain. But, then she calmly held out a hand. "Nice try!! Now die!!!" The pink beam vetrabrayed off of her palm and headed strait back for Super Sailor Chibi Moon!!!
Super Sailor Chibi Moon screamed, falling to her knees from the force of her own attack. The light energy disappeared as soon as she fell, but the pain was still very intense. Gasping, Chibi Moon looked up. Nehalania was looking at her, smiling and seemingly unharmed. The other senshi, however, were all scrached already, bruised and Mercury was bleeding from a cut on her thigh. They looked like they felt like giving up already-while Nehalania was just getting warmed u. 'Is she really that much more powerful than us tonight?'
"SPACE SABER!!!!" screeched Uranus, trying to run Nehalania through with her space saber, to no avail. Nehalania sent her flying with a vicious energy blast. Uranus hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Eyes flaming, Neptune held out an aqua colored mirror to Nehalania. As she screamed, "SUBMEREAN REFLECTION!!!!" it began to send out almost magic dust, encasing her in its enchanting power. Nehalania dealt with this almost the same, and soon Neptune was on the ground, glaring angrily and nursing her aching ribs.
Nehalania laughed. "Chibiusa, I like this game of yours! Sacrafice your friends, I like it! You are all going to die anyway!! I am more powerful than you, and you know it!!!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon clenched her fists angrily. She was about to yell an insult back, but Nehalania cut her off with an energy ball, that caught her off guard, grazing her side painfully.
"Hentai!!!" screamed Chibi Moon, in pain and fury. (author's note: what does hentai mean?!) Seconds later, Nehalania threw more energy at her, but this time she dodged it.
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!" Orange hearts hit Nehalania in the back. And she barely flinched.
"WHAT?!" Super Sailor Venus gasped panting.
"I told you-your powers are nothing compared mine!!" Nehalania answered confidently.
"Maybe you're more powerful than each of us, but together we are a mighty force! Senshi, let's put our powers together!" said (or yelled) Super Sailor Moon. The nine other senshi nodded.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"PINK MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
Blue, red, green, orange, black, (whatever Uranus's color is), aqua, black, silver/white, and pink light rose skyward in great collums, pouring endlessly from the ten determined senshi's planet power crystals.
They combined into a might rainbow planet heart bomb high above the evil queen. Then, the 'bomb' dropped, hitting Nehalania square on the head. She skrieched and actually fell over, hitting the ground clumsily.
"We are doing it!" cheered Super Sailor Jupiter happily.
It looked like Nehalania was actually going down. 'Helios, can you hear me? We're doing it!!' thought Super Sailor Chibi Moon, still pouring out pink moon energy, though she was extremely tiered. The moon power took a tole on her body, but she wasn't about to stop, just in case.
The other senshi, however, thought Nehalania was dead as a doorknob, and their power cut off instantly. "WE DID IT!!!" cried Neptune happily. Finally, Chibi Moon cut off her power as well, reluctantly.
"You guys..." she protested uneasily. She shifted from one foot to the other. The senshi, Super Sailor Moon included, ignored her and crowded around Nehalania's limp form on the ground. Chibi Moon, however was reluctant to join them-a bad feeling weighed in her stomach. They leaned over, looking at the evil queen.
"She's sure ugly!" blurted Super Sailor Moon.
All of a sudden, Nehalania said, "I HEARD THAT!!!!!" And sat up!!!(literally the dead have arisen)Enraged, she blew an extra huge attack of black power in all directions, sending the amazed senshi flying, screaming in all directions.
"MOM!! GUYS!! SATURN, URANUS, NEPTUNE, PLUTO, MERCURY, MARS, JUPITER AND VENUS!!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon screamed, being the only one not seriously injured.
The senshi hit the ground all around her, screaming and hurt. "She's not dead yet!! We need more power!!" cried Pluto obviously.
They were able to stand, barely. As Nehalania furiously fired dark energy balls galore, they dodged nimbly, yet barely avoiding being hit. Chibi Moon dove away from three different attacks, but she too was injured and tiering...
"We need help!!!" she breathed. 'We are losing!!!! We need more power, we can't go on like this!!!' Helios probably heard her, but he 'said' nothing. "What can we do?!'
As if in response, Super Sailor Saturn flipped painfully away from an attack Nehalania sent at her and landed next to Super Sailor Chibi Moon. "We're losing, Chibi Moon!" she whispered urgently, as if Chibi Moon didn't know.
"No duh!! What do we do, she's just too strong!!! We don't have enough power!! But if we don't win, she's gonna destroy the whole world, I know it. This is our only chance, and we're losing!! What do we do??" Super Sailor Chibi Moon was nearly hysterical.
"I think..." said Saturn slowly. "That it's time."
"FOR WHAT?!" shouted Chibi Moon so loudly that the other senshi turned to stare. Chibi Moon really didn't mean to yell at her best friend, but the truth was: she was scared. She KNEW that no matter what they did, Nehalania was going to win.
"For me to release the new senshi, the asteroid scouts." It took a second for it to sink in. The new senshi, the asteroid scouts. Super Sailor Chibi Moon's own senshi!! Saturn yelled, "I CALL UPON THE POWER OF THE STARS!! THE TIME HAS COME TO RELEASE THE NEWEST GUARDIANS, SENSHI OF THE FOUR SOLAR ASTEROIDS, AWAKEN NOW TO SERVE YOUR PRINCESS AND SAVE HER WORLD FROM DARKNESS!! PALLAS, CERES, JUNO AND VESTA AWAKEN!!!"
Chibi Moon, the senshi and even Nehalania were still, dumbfounded, as four balls, one red, one yellow, one green and one blue, dropped into her hand from sub-space (that's the anti-space where all the senshi's equiptment, like the Crystal Clarion was stored).
The four balls rose magically from her hand until they were levitating in the air. Then each began to glow it's own respective color, until the light was nearly blinding.
In an unexpected explosion that nearly shook the earth, they exploded. When the dust cleared moments later, four unsmiling girls stood grouped together, clothed in Super Sailor fukus. Super Sailors Pallas (red), Ceres (yellow), Juno (green) and Pallas (light blue). Chibi Moon's own senshi.
"So it's Queen Nehalania," said one.
"Not again," moaned another.
"Nehalania, when will you ever learn?"
"Yeah, dream power is stronger than you any day!!"
Nehalania replied, "It's an honor, really girls. But today just isn't your day. And because you are all getting so very annoying...I'm going to have to destroy you, one and for all!!!" Immediately, a great ball of energy began to form in her hands, already bigger than anything she'd thrown at them.
"Pallas, Ceres, Juno, Vesta! Senshi! Super Sailor Moon! This is it, her biggest attack. It is going to kill us if we don't stop it, and then Nehalania will destroy the palace and the kingdom! We have to put all our powers together again, and this time we can't stop fighting...until either she or us dies. Got it?!"
"We'll do it for you, Chibi Moon!"
"And for dreams!!"
"Right!!"
Chibi Moon nodded, biting her lip.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"PALLAS CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"CERES CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"VESTA CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"JUNO CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
Chibi Moon was about to add her power to the mix, praying that the added senshi would be enough...even though she knew that it wouldn't work...But first...With all her strength, she though, hoping Helios would hear her, 'SEND ELYSION AWAY, NOW!!! DO YOU HEAR ME HELIOS?! SEND HER TO THE PAST, GET HER OUT OF HERE!! IN A FEW SECCONDS THINGS ARE GOING TO GET...DANGEROUS. GET HER TO SAFTY-NOW!!!' Then, she focused her powers and screamed with all her undying fury,
"PINK MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
The power flowed from fourteen senshi at once. The power of the planets and asteroids, the power of love, justice and dreams... It mixed high in the sky, and formed a great ball...Rainbow colors flashed brightly, while nearby, Nehalania's dark bomb grew in size as well...
Within seconds...it would be launched. A dark bomb with enough power to blow away all fourteen senshi...Super Sailor Chibi Moon prayed that Elysion was gone...she never wanted to see the daughter she loved so much ever again, for her own safety. 'HELIOS, I MEAN IT!! IF ELYSION ISN'T GONE NOW, SHE'D BETTER BE IN LESS THAN THREE SECONDS!! WHEN THESE BOMBS HIT, THERE WILL BE AN EXPLOSION BIG ENOUGH TO BLOW ALL OF US IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM!!!!'
All of a sudden, Super Sailor Chibi Moon was shocked at a weak voice in her head...'Chibi...Moon...? Can...you hear me...? It's...Helios...'
'HELIOS!? I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU!!! WHAT'S WRONG?!'
'Too far away...Elysion...'
'IS SHE GONE?!'
'I...sent her...back in time! She's...with...Usagi...in the past!!!'
'WHEN?!'
'I sent her back...to the day...exactly thirteen years...before...I met you...'
'FOOL!!! AS A THIRTEEN YEAR OLD, SHE'LL MEET NEHALANIA!!!'
"Yes...no...she is...this world's...insurance, as you are...our last hope...fire your bomb!!!'
'RIGHT!!!' Then, out loud, just as she sensed the power reaching it's peak, she yelled, joined by the other thirteen senshi, "RAINBOW PLANET HEART BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The brilliant energy bomb, containing all the power left in her entire being flew, strait and sure, yet painfully slowly towards Queen Nehalania. 'I will have my revenge!!! Chibiusa, all she knows and loves, the flying piece of crap, her disgusting daughter, this pitiful world of dreams will be destroyed!!!'
Was Nehalania in her head now, too??!! Chibi Moon didn't have time to worry, however. Nehalania released her HUGE dark bomb, screaming something like, "DARK DREAM OBLITERATION!!!!!!!!"
And the two attacks, both exceedingly powerful, flew at each other, one of pure rainbow light and one of evil darkness. Within seconds, it would all be over...
Super Sailor Chibi Moon braced herself for the explosion. She knew it would be the end of her and all she knew and loved... Her beautiful daughter, her wonderful family, everything she loved... Nehalania would win and her world would become a desolate place without dream light... Because she wasn't strong enough to save it... She was scared.
'Me too.'
'Helios?! I can hear you! You too...you can hear what I'm thinking...?'
She could 'see' him nod. It was...disturbing.
'I can 'see' you, hear your thoughts...even though you aren't thinking to me...Helios, is Elysion gone?'
'Yes. I sent her away...'
'I...have...about three seconds left to live...I love you, Helios...'
'Me too.'
And then, the two attacks hit, with a light brighter than anything imaginable. The full power of the stars and the darkest evil in existence, battling it out in a fierce, winner-takes-all, final fight. Chibi Moon's eyes stung unbearably, even though they were closed tightly against the sight of the two colliding powers. Even with her eyes closed, she could 'see' the dark bomb fighting it's hardest and easily taking over the senshi's Rainbow Planet Heart Bomb.
As she felt the dark attack push her own aside, Super Sailor Chibi Moon sensed the darkness surrounding her, eating her whole, and she knew: this was the end. All she could feel was a stinging, almost a cool tingling all over her body. Like, the pain was far away now...And she thought, as she floated in the space between life and death 'Is this how it feels to die?'
Part10
Out loud, the shaken soldier/princess called, "Am I dead? Where...am I? Can anyone hear me?!" Her voice echoed oddly. "Is this heaven...? Or am I in the other place?"
"Usagi! Usagi!! My precious daughter!! I'm so glad you're all mine!!"
Super Sailor Chibi Moon cried with amazement, "WHAT?!" Was someone...her mother...calling her Usagi?! No one called her that...
She searched the area around her, extremely confused. All she saw was whiteness...she was falling for eternity through white, blank, anti-space. Then, as if to prove her wrong, the surroundings exploded with color. She landed lightly on a cheaply tiled floor, you know, the kind that you stick to the ground, fake tiles? It was like that, ugly gray. But the walls were a creamy yellow color, they fairly glowed with love.
A single window let in sunlight, the day was a sultry summer day, June or July. I the middle of the tiny room was a large, hospital bed, and on it sat a woman. There was a long needle leading from an iv stand to a cut in her hand. It looked pretty painful, but the woman was smiling like she'd just won the lottery.
"She's beautiful. I can't believe she was inside of you, Ikuko." Chibi Moon noticed a man sitting in chair next to the woman's bed. He looked like..."KENJI-PAPA?! IKUKO-MAMA?! "
Strangely, neither adult even turned their head. "HELLO?! IT'S ME, CHIBIUSA!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" she shouted. Still, neither grown-up aknowlaged her presence. A tiny infant rested in the woman's hands, a perfect blonde doll, blue eyes glowing happily. It made a gurgle/coo noise and kicked underneath the pink blanket that deemed her a girl...
Chibi Moon dug a pink boot into the ground, kicking at the cheap tile in confusion. Then, her head snapped up suddenly and she cried, "Usagi?!" The woman had been talking to her daughter, Usagi...Was this the past?! Was the tiny infant her mother as a child?!
All of a sudden, the people faded. "Huh?! Kenji-Papa, Ikuko-Mama? Where are you going?" The entire room began to fade away...Everything began to spin and she was feeling very dizzy, falling through space-time again. She never really understood visions an dreams and real space time...was she dead...or dreaming? Why could no one see her?
Colors swirled and the world was spinning, she caught tiny images that faded before she could make sense of what she was seeing. Then, as suddenly as the worlds had started spiraling, it stopped. There was a crowd of people yelling something at an infant in the center, sitting teary-eyed in a high chair. She looked terrified. "-TO YOU!!!!!!!!" Then they clapped obnoxiosly and started cutting up a perfect cake that said "HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY USAGI!!" in pink, with yellow frosting moons and stars. It was Usagi's first birthday?!
The blonde baby laughed merrily and threw cake in all directions, before shoving the rest in her mouth. Definetly Usagi. Her pink and white party dress was filthy with chocolate. Ikuko and Kenji laughed happily, arms around each other.
All of a sudden, the sight made her heart ache. The sight of a happy, peaceful family that loved each other and had all of their lives to be together. The happy infant Usagi was the daughter she would never see again, and the loving husband and wife were the image of all she'd ever wanted to be. She thought about trying to speak to them, but they probably wouldn't hear...
The world was spinning again, Chibi Moon's skirt ruffled in the 'breeze' and she was sick to her stomache. This time however, she didn't fall far-perhaps days or at the most weeks as aposed to falling a year into the future.
She landed, somewhat less vilently, on cheap gray tile...the hospital again?! Only this time, the entire room give off bad vibes. There was no love here, the sunlight didn't reach this room. On the bed, an overweight, dour looking woman sat, watching tv and grumbling under her breath.
"(Mumble) stupid child (mumble mumble) not worth it...(mumble)" An intercom crackled loudly and a moment later, a cheery woman said, "Mrs Chiba? Would you like me to bring in your daughter?"
"No, keep that thing out of here, I don't want to see it." The woman grumbled some more, angrily. Chibi Moon's jaw dropped. Mrs Chiba? Mamoru and Usagi Chiba...were they connected? Her father related to this heartless witch who didn't want to look at her own child?! Chibi Moon was stif with horror as things began to spin...she was glad to be out of there...
This time, the spinning lasted longer...longer than even the first time...this bizarre, ruthless tour was skipping a lot of space-time...She landed...This was beyond weird. If it is possible, she was in two different places at once...
Through one eye, she saw a healthy girl, maybe 6 years old, with soaking blond hair that clung to her wet body carefully constructing a sand castle with the aid of a smiling woman. Their grins were identical-huge and wholehearted. The older woman was saying, "It's beautiful!! You'll win for sure!!" Then picking a perfect seashell to mount on top of the castle's tower.
But through the other eye, Chibi Moon saw an unwelcome sight. A tiny, thin, pale blonde girl, who looked beautiful but mistreated, meekly walked into a dark kitchen. She hesitated, then cleared her throat to ketch the attention of the dark haired woman sitting near by. In a 5-year-old's voice, she said, "Mama? Can we go to the beach today? I...wanted to enter a sandcastle contest...and it's so hot...please? "
The woman turned a chubby, cold face to the girl. "I have better things to do with my time to take you to the beach, Erin. Why don't you go get a job weeding gardens or something? You are a burden to us, and you really aren't worth anything. It would put your food on the table, and get you out of my hair." The woman snorted in disgust and annoyance.
"But mama-" As Chibi Moon watched in horror, the woman's face twisted with anger and she reached out to slap the tiny girl hard on the cheek. The girl's legs gave way and she fell to the ground, weeping quietly.
The girl cringed as her mother towered over her and yelled, "NO buts, Erin!! Who feeds you, clothes you and gives you shelter? I do, your father and I. We deserve complete respect, young lady. Get out of my sight this instant." Erin scrambled to obey, holding her red check with a trembling hand.
Chibi Moon was apauled. What kind of sicko would treat their 5-year-old daughter so rotten?! While in one eye, she saw a happy girl squealing exitedly pointing out a blue ribbon on her homemade sand castle to her smiling, kind mother, in the other eye she saw a terrified youngster curled into a protective ball on an ancient, torn and stained matteress on the ground, weeping her heart out.
Chibi Moon tried to call to the poor, abused girl, hoping she could somehow help her, but it was futile, just as the strange dream girl raised her head, the world was shifting again, flying in circles. About another year passed. Chibi Moon still had split vision. Why was she seeing the happy girl too? Why was she seeing the miserable girl-SHE WAS DEAD!!
Still, she saw...and wished that she didn't. She saw the happy smiley girl, age 7, curled up in a sleeping bag next to a red haired girl in a different sleeping bag, merrily munching popcorn and watching late night cartoons, when she should have been in bed...It was definetly Usagi...Chibi Moon recognized her mother's hairstyle: the two, distinct, yellow odangos.
But the other girl, now around 6, was out side...At ten o'clock at night?! It was raining hard and thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance, yet the girl was walking alone down the empty streets, fighting with the wind and struggling to carry three heavy grocery bags. 'Her mother sent her shopping during a storm, in the middle of the night?!' Chibi Moon was horrified at the way this girls mom treated her...
Off in the distance, thunder began to crash loudly, in both eyes she could 'hear' it. Usagi and her friend turned to look at each other, then giggled, but the lone girl cringed as raindrops began pelting down on her and the thunder crashed terifiyningly close by.
Erin couldn't help the screech that escaped her lips as the lightning started. It was so close by!! Before, she was having trouble seeing, but when the lightning came, everything was as clear as day. CRASH!!! Usagi and her friend smiled and started counting out loud. They didn't reach three before the thunder was heard, louder than humanly imaginable. The noise terrified Erin as it rang through the night air.
Erin tried to resure herself...she was almost home...three more blocks...The lightning came again, followed closely by thunder. Usagi and her friend got into a popcorn fight, tossing the delicious, lightly butter pieces everywhere and laughing out loud.
Erin stiffened as the lightning illuminated everything for a few hundred feet. She turned the corner, walking quickly in a cold sweat. The lightning tore across the sky, not a mile away, and the thunder was heard at the same time as the light was seen. Erin was scared to death-any normal 6 year old would be. Chibi Moon felt like crying as she watched.
The next lightning bolt cut stait down with amazing speed, and Erin saw it hit into the ground. She screamed as she felt the vibrations in the ground and the earth start to shake a bit under her. She would have dropped the bags, but then her mother would have...well, let's just say Erin was more afraid of her mother than lightning.
Erin trembled as she walked, but pushed on. Inside, Usagi's power went out. The two girls squealed, thrilled. To them it was SO COOL!!! But, to Erin it was traumatizing to see the street lights go out, leaving her in the darkness until the next explosion of light.
Tear were on Erin's cheeks-she told herself it was rain-as she came closer to the house she hated so much-her only safe (well, fairly safe) haven. Just one more block...she would make it. Lightning lit the sky, hitting the ground VERY close by, perhaps two blocks away...Erin was in panic, but pushed on because there was no where else to go...
Usagi's mom and dad lit candles and made hot chocolate for the girls over the fireplace (does Usagi HAVE a fireplace?) pouring the steaming liquid into cups and adding thick milk. The girls smiled their thanks in the dim light of the holiday candles-all that Usagi's dad could find for light.
Erin could see her house. She could SEE it!! Less than a block away. But she was too tiered to run to it, her whole body ached from the shifting weight of the groceries (the Twinkies were wet!! *tragety*!). Erin dragged in a painful breath and drew closer to her house...The lights were out and there was no movement...everyone was probably crowded around the radio, swearing at the portable tv (w/batteries!) or complaining about her being late. And for a second, all was calm, peaful and dead still. The moment before the end of her world as she knew it, there was tranquil silence.
She felt it before she saw it. A painful lump rose in her throat and her stomach did back flips, twisting in unseen agony. Chibi Moon watched on, perplexed. And she heard it before she saw it. And she cried out, somehow knowing...
The crash was deafening, they must have heard it on the other side of the world, it echoed in Erin's screaming mind for eternity. And the lightning...a HUGE searing streak cut the sky in two, heading strait for the only home she'd ever know... In slow motion now, Erin ran, knowing somehow, despite her youth, that it would hit her house. Not carring about the groceries any longer, she clutched the bag tightly and ran for all she was worth. Of course, she was too late.
The lightning hit her house head on, shaking the earth like an earthquake "NO!!" Erin gasped, lunging in slow motion, barely able to drag her feet along the sidewalk. The sound and light was petrifying, but Erin was to worried about all of the people in the house to care for her own safety...'Please don't let it flame, please don't let it flame...' she prayed. As long as the house wasn't on fire, the people inside were probably okay...
And then before her eyes, a single red blaze, growing inside began climbing the ancient wood. It grew and grew, devouring the old wooden house piece by piece. Chibi Moon could hear the screams of the people burning alive inside...And she could hear the devastated howls Erin was giving off.
"NNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled, not believing it. She'd always hated her house, but it was the only home she'd ever known...The huge blaze filled all of Chibi Moon's vision, she saw in both eyes the horror she hadn't asked to see.
Erin raced up to the burning building, oblivios to danger and dropped the brown paper bags. Ignoring the searing heat, she threw open the door. "Mama?! Papa?!" she yelled. But no one answered. "NOOOOO!!!!!! This can't be...my family...NOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Erin was overcome with grief and then, unexpected rage coursed through her.
For just a second, the incredible pain of it all merged into anger-an increditable hate at the world just for being there, alive, while her family was not. A tiny 6 year old, the daughter of darkness...And then, the hate died as it grew-evil just didn't suit her. Instead, Erin cried for all things lost.
Chibi Moon was horrified. Who was showing her this?! Why?! The poor, poor girl... Still, apaulled as she was, Chibi Moon watched the girl with interest. Who was she, besides Erin...? Chibi Moon watched with horrific curiousity, and wasn't at all surprised when Erin, still crying noticed something...unusual...
The sky directly around her was glowing golden again. At first, she was terrified that it was lightning or maybe flames from the burning building. She exited the house quickly, still weeping as she hudled out in the pouring rain. But the glowing continued. There was no more lightnining-it seemed to have ended so quickly, as if it'd done it's job destroying the Shields house and then left unexpectedly.
And then, Erin realized that the glowing golden light wasn't around her-it was her.
Chibi Moon actually smiled as she saw through both eyes the golden crescent moon symbol imbeded in Erin's forehead, mark of the moon princess. "Elysion..." she whispered, although the girl didn't hear her.
The girl cried out, startled. She looked in a muddy puddle to stare at the broken reflection of herself. Seeing past the old clothes and thin, pale figure who looked desperately lonely, she focused on her fore head with wide eyed amazement. And on her white-as-a-ghost forehead, there was a strange glowing symbol...A GOLDEN CRESCENT MOON?!! Erin gasped in fear/amazement/shear confusion/total terror. What was going on?! Where did the moon symbol come from? Erin shook her head.
"I'm dreaming. This is a terrible, terrible nightmare...I'll wake up and mama will beat me for not going to pick up the groceries like she told me to..."
Then Chibi Moon smiled. "I know, Elysion. I know. NEVER doubt your worst nightmare. I learned the hard way...' Chibi Moon was suddenly thee, standing next to the little girl. Towering over her like a strange gymnast or something, in the middle of a storm near a burning building. "WHAT?!"
Erin's head snapped up. Her eyes went wide when she...Saw Chibi Moon!!! "Who are you!? What are you doing here?! You weren't here a second ago!!" Chibi Moon gasped.
"You can see me? You can hear me? Elysion?"
"My name's Erin...Who ARE you?" Her voice was shaky.
Chibi Moon kneeled down next to the trembling child, so they were at eye leval. She smiled weakly. "Forgive me Erin, you reminded me of someone...My dear daughter Elysion...I know what you are feeling, Erin. I am...a friend...who understands your dreams."
"My dreams?" The girl didn't seem to care that Chibi Moon had appeared out of thin air...Something almost magnetic drew her to the young woman she knew so well yet had never seen before.
Tears came to her eyes as Chibi Moon nodded. "I lost...everything...No, I gave...more than life itself in the fight for dreams. Tonight Erin...we will both lose...everything... but you have your life to live...I will lose even that...and I must accept that...I'm sorry..." Erin put a hand on Chibi Moon's shoulder, as she began to cry uncontrollably.
"It's okay...but I don't understand...you are going to die?! What do you mean... Why are you crying?"
"Elysion. I mean Erin. Sorry. You see...there is no way to explain it...You'll find it out someday...Just remember Erin. Carry on knowing that one day you'll make your dream to find the family who loves you come true. And remember, Erin that they loved you more than life itself."
"How did you know that?! I have my family..."
"And deep down they love you, but El-I mean Erin. You true family...Is the group of people who love you. You know that you are different, deep down inside. I can't tell you anymore...I'll upset the balance I've created... I wish there were some other way, I don't want you to suffer...But there isn't...If only...Well, this is destiny I suppose. Remember Erin, carry on." Chibi Moon could feel the change coming. Reluctantly she pulled away from the young girl and smiled weakly. She became slightly translucent. She gestured to the crescent symbol on the girl's head. "It will disappear...for a time."
"Wait! I need to talk to you! Where are you going? Who ARE you? Wait!!!"
Chibi Moon Smiled sadly again. "I must go. Erin..." Her voice trailed off. "Elysion. Carry on. For your dreams, for the dreams of the dreamers of Earth, for the senshi, for the universe. And for your parents..."
Her voice was a whisper but she hoped Erin could hear her. "Elysion...we love you..." Erin fell to her knees. Chibi Moon smiled faintly as a brightly shining golden, sun-shaped broach dropped into the astonished girl's tiny hands.
And the world was a nauseating spiral of whiteness. As she nearly puked, all Chibi Moon could do was think, 'I can't believe what I've done to my only daughter!! Because of me, she has to face all the horrors I've faced plus some. It's my fault, I should have been stronger...' Still...the image of the girl holding the sun-shaped broach, her crescent symbol shining brightly...seemed so...right. Maybe it was uncontrollable-it was destiny that marked Elysion savior... And still she hated it.
The length of time that she traveled was untraceable... She heard a voice as she continued to spin, a man's voice said, "Erin, we've found a relative...it seems he didn't know he was even related to you...but you bear the same last name...And your family tree does contain him...We are going to send you away from the orphantage, you've been here seven years, far longer than you are supposed to...You'll be fine, your cousin Chiba, Mamoru seems like a nice young man."
Chibi Moon smiled. Elysion found Mamoru, Usagi and herself. It might just work...Still, she didn't stop. The spinning continued for almost five minutes, then she fell unexpectedly onto soft green grass. "Owww!! At least I landed on the grass...Where am I and how long has t been?" A soft neighing caught her attention. Chibi Moon's head snapped up. A soft neighing?! Ws she...A tiny pink haired girl came running into the clearing. A stick snapped under her bare foot. Chibi Moon recognized her immediately. Her sleepy ruby eyes shined with excitement. So this was...Yes. Chibi Moon recognized this place-she'd been here three weeks ago, when Elysion was born. 'Well a lot's happened since then...' So...the whinnying was...Pegasus!!
Chibi Moon watched, nearly in tears, as a beautiful white horse appeared. The aweshocked girl reached out painfully slowly, trying to touch the soft white muzzle without scaring him. She barely touched him when something reacted inside of her, a chain reaction triggered by destiny... A tiny white dress flared about her and a crescent moon symbol shimmered beautifully on her forehead. The Pegasus seemed shocked by this, or maybe he remembered he had to be some where (Chibi Moon never thought to ask Helios) in any case, he disappeared to the girls disappointment. Chibi Moon joined him, unheard as he whispered, "Maiden, you must tell no one of this meeting!!" Then Chibi Moon disappeared, too.
"NOT AGAIN!!!" She WAS going to be sick. Wait, could dead people be sick?! She didn't have time to find out, the white surroundings gave way to a dark, dark room. There were sure signs of people-the debris of a mirror and ruins scatterd the room. Then, she recognized six girls in ripped sailor fukus standing staring up at a woman on a flying throne thing... And hidden behind a fallen stone collum, were four circus performers, also staring at the woman in dark clothes...Nehalania!!!! "I am the chosen maiden Elysion!!!!!!!!!" Chibi Moon looked at the tiny girl standing almost under Nehalania. She hadn't noticed her before. She was wearing a golden fuku with white gloves and a white bodice, golden sandals were on here feet and a sun shaped golden broach glitered at her chest. This was...the rest of the dream she'd had when Elysion was born!!!
"WHAT?!" Nehalania shrieked. She smiled coolly. "Just give me that crystal...it's not worth the...pain." Elysin shook her head.
"I don't think so, I'm going to stop you. Why? Because you stole everything from me. And I'm getting MY revenge."
A strangled voice called out to Elysion from behind her. "You need the crystal...that unlocks the golden crystal. Do you have it Elysion?"
"You bet, Helios!"
"WHAT?!!!"
The senshi stared at the strange girl who'd joined then so recently. What crystal did she have?! Chibi Moon smiled. "The golden crystal," she whispered. "Elysion holds the golden crystal of the future, in order to unlock the golden crystal of the past."
No one heard her,of course, they did however hear Elysion call, "This is for you Nehalania!!" She TOSSED THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL INTO THE AIR!!!! It didn't go high enough for Nehalania to grab it, though. Elysion worked quickly, putting her hands up to cup her broach. 'Aiming' it at the golden crystal, she screamed, "GOLDEN CRYSTAL SUPER NOVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sun broach opened (they didn't know it could) and revealed the source of Sailor Sun's power-The Golden Crystal!!! It shot out of it's place in the broach and levitated next to the other golden crystal.
"Two golden crystals? That's insane!!!" shrieked Nehalania. The two crystals merged with a violent explosion of light, becoming twice the size of each original. Then, Elysion reached out to take the golden crystal in her hands, and praying under her breath, yelled, "This is for my dreams, for the Earth, for the dreams of the dreamers of Earth, for the senshi and for my mother and father!!!!!!!! NEHALANIA, YOU WILL PAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The golden crystal shot blinding gold light in all directions!!!!!!!! Yes!! The golden crystals were working together to destroy Nehalania, at last!! It was so strange...Chibi Moon had changed everything, yet it was almost by accident...She knew what was going to happen...but she didn't know it...It was so confusing...Destiny...
Helios, the young boy, smiled and gave the child Chibiusa (transformed)a joyful, yet weak, hug. Chibi Moon (adult) sighed. She was happy to, that Nehalania was about to be demolished...But, why did she have to give everything? SHE would never hold HER Helios, never kiss him until she was sure she was going to pass out from lack-of-air, never even see him again, but...Elysion, a tiny part of them survived, if only she could remember them...Oh well, destiny sux, Chibi Moon decided.
Sailor Moon crawled away from the golden suited soldier, then smiled as she saw the energy from the golden crystal grow, deepening in golden color. Nehalania shrieked. "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And they saw her twist in agony, then disappear. The tent collapsed around them, just like in Chibi Moon's world, but this time, the senshi and Helios emerged from the debris scratched, bruised and even bleeding but conscious and very much alive. THEY HAD DONE IT!!!!!!! After two lifetimes, Nehalania was gone for good!!!! "Great job...Sailor Sun..."
"Don't look at me like that, PEGASUS, I don't...really know myself... I said I was the chosen maiden Elysion, like your world but... It wasn't ME, It just came out automatically...I don't really know who I am...I thought I did but...That woman...And, if I'm Sailor sun, I must be descended from someone from the sun..."
"No one lived on the sun, ever," declared Sailor Moon.
Sailor Sun gaped at her. "WHAT?! Then why am I guarded by the sun? Am I the only one?"
Chibiusa (kid) and Helios both opened their mouths to speak then thought better of it. They looked at each other for a second, and turned away, each slightly blushing. "And WHAT was that about?!" demanded Sailor Sun. Chibiusa (child) and helios both shook their heads.
"Okkkaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy..."
'NOOOO!' screamed Chibi Moon (adult) although they couldn't hear her. 'You KNOW the truth, just admit it to yourselves!! Elysion HAS to know!!! 'She tried to make herself visable, she HAD to tell them!! But, just as she began to become real, she was off again, spinning through time.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!" She HAD to tell Elysion, she HAD to know!!! 'I am DEAD!!! Why do I have to see this, and what is left to see?! It's OVER!!!' Chibi Moon was FURIOUS. She'd given EVERYTHING and no one would ever know!!!! Was it worth it?'
'yes...don't think like that, Chibi Moon...Believe in the dreams within innocent dreaming children...you fight for them...and NEVER doubt...your worst nightmare...'
'HELIOS????!!!!!!!!!! HOW CAN I HEAR YOU, I'M DEAD!!!!!!!!'
'I...'
"HELIOS? HELIOS???!!!'
No response.
What was going on?! Then...the white blank space ended again, and she was...On a giant flying rock?! 'I don't recognize this...' Then she saw-'NEHALANIA!!!! SHE'S-NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' The dark clothed figure standing opposite Chibi Moon didn't see her-she hoped-but it smiled evily anyways, to itself. In a dark voice she whispered. "Fools. They will never learn. I survived, pitiful Chibi Moon. And I defeted the sun brat, Elysion. She thought she was so smart, using a secret weapon on me, but I won!!!!!" She laughed. "And I'll be back, for my revenge!!!! I will!!!!" Then, Nehalani disappeared into the...THE MIRROR!!!!!
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All that hard work---WASTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nehalania had somehow survived?! 'I thought the golden crystal could destroy Nehalania in the chosen maiden's hands?!!! She HAD the crystal!! So...I...died FOR NOTHING?! NEHALANIA'S GONNA WIN ANYWAYS?!!!!'
***
Chibi Moon tried to scream but she couldn't. Everything hurt. Her entire body ached, she felt totally beaten. And she couldn't believe that Nehalania was going to destroy the future inspite of everything!!!!! She had no idea WHERE she was, it was all pretty dark... oh, her eyes were closed. But, try as she might, she couldn't open them. Part of her screamed, 'What's the use?! You are dead, everything's gone, Nehalania's the ruler of my world, now a dreamless wasteland.'
But...she HAD to DO something! No matter what, she COULD NOT give in!! For dreams, her world and her daughter!! Her true love, her senshi, herself-all dead because of Nehalania. No matter what, she HAD to keep trying!! This somehow gave her a tiny spark of energy. Just enough to open her eyes...a last time.
"Uhhhhh," she moaned. Her throat was dry and cracked, it hurt to breath-WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!! Dead people DO NOT breath!! So if she had to breath, then...Was it possible? Could she have survived?! Even being half dead and totally crippled was amazing. Then...she could change it!!!! She could...what could she do?
Nehalania, who was laughing evilly said, "Now I don't have to bother destroying Crystal Tokyo-it's gone!! The pitiful senshi helped me wipe it out!!! Now...I have to go to Elysion...to get the annoying horse-boy."
'Helios? She thinks Helios is still in Elysion? If she goes there... she'll hurt Saros and them!!! She needs the golden crystal to become more powerful...' She was unable to move anything, probably paralyzed. But she could think... 'I wish I knew what to do to destroy her...Helios!!!' She NEEDED him...without him, she couldn't think strait...
'uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........'
'WHAT?!!!!!' Chibi Moon was SURE she'd heard...'HELIOS?!!!'
'I...ELYSION!!!!'
'Elysion?'
'WHY DIDN'T IT WORK?! SHE'S THE CHOSEN MAIDEN!!!!'
'HELIOS?!'
'I...SAW HER...SAILOR SUN!!! ELYSION AND SHE-'
'-USED YOUR GOLDEN CRYSTAL TO TRY AND DESTROY NEHALANIA!!! BUT SHE LOST!!!'
'YES!!! BUT HOW DID YOU...'
'I THOUGHT I WAS SEE IN THE PAST IF WE SENT ELYSION...BUT...'
'CHIBIUSA!!!'
'UH HUH?'
'I SAW THE SAME THING!!!! MAYBE...IT WAS...A WARNING!!! MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE LEAVE IT ALONE... I THINK ELYSION INHERITED THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL AND IN UNLOCKED THE PAST GOLDEN CRYSTAL, BUT SOMEHOW NEHALANIA SURVIVED...'
'ARE YOU SAYING WE COULD STILL CHANGE IT?!'
'MAYBE...'
'HOW?'
'I DON'T KNOW...'
Then, Chibi Moon remembered something. 'HELIOS!!! NEHALANIA'S HEADED FOR ELYSION-TO LOOK FOR YOU!! SHE DOESN'T KNOW YOU'RE HERE, SHE'LL THINK SAROS IS TRYING TO HIDE YOU...SHE'LL KILL THEM!!!'
'WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FAST!!!!'
'ARE YOU HURT BAD?'
'AFRAID SO...I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MOVE, CHIBI MOON...'
'I DON'T THINK I CAN EITHER. BUT, LET ME TRY, I'LL GET HER ATTENTION, YOU THINK OF SOMETHING FAST!!!!!'
'OKAY...BE CAREFUL...'
'UH HUH.'
Chibi Moon KNEW it was a lie. She COULDN'T sit up. Never mind stand and fight. But...maybe she didn't have to... Her eyes sought Nehalania out...Ah ha!! She was trying to teleport to Elysion... "HEY NEHALANIA!!!!" she shouted with all the breath left in her. Nehalania's head snapped up.
"WHAT?! Who..." Chibi Moon smiled slightly, but closed her eyes as if dead. Her plan? To fool with Nehalania's mind. Nehalania shook her head slightly, attributing the voice to over work.
She turned back to what she was doing and again, Chibi Moon called out, "Helloooo NEHALANIA!!!"
Nehalania whirled around as Chibi Moon closed her eyes. Nehalania walked over to look at the senshi. They appeared dead...'No one could survive that,' she reasoned.
And when she turned her back and walked away shrugging, Chibi Moon announced, "Helios isn't in Elysion, he's right here, NEHALANIA!!"
"WHAT?!!!" Nehalania stomped over. "CHIBI MOON!!!!!!" she cursed loudly. "YOU ARE DEAD!!!!!!"
Chibi Moon opened her eyes WIDE WIDE WIDE, to scare Nehalania and said clearly, "Nope."
Nehalania leaped backwards. And screamed. "WHAT?! I KILLED YOU!!!"
"Nope. I'm here. Paralized, but here. And Helios? He's here, duh. Didn't you SEE him before?"
Nehalania actually laughed. "How sweet! I was sure he abandoned you and took the drooling baby brat to Elysion."
"Helios would never do that!!"
"Sure he would."
"No he wouldn't, Helios would never do that, not to me."
"He went and DIED on you, didn't he?"
"N-" suddenly, Helios's voice in her head cut her off.
'-let her think I'm dead.'
"Nehalania, it wasn't his fault!!!!! You murdered him, murdered them all!! And my precious dreaming daughter is dead!!!! Because of you!!! How could you do this?"
Nehalania smiled and laughed, then said, "Easily!!! As easily as I'm going to kill you!!!!" As if in slow motion, she raised a hand to fire at Chibi Moon. One sure strike would do it., finish her off before she could do anything...
Chibi Moon braced herself as best she could...She could SEE the joy in Nehalania's face, and the dark energy ball glowing in her hand... "Hey Nehalania!!!"
"WHAT?!" Nehalania turned away and the ball disappeared...
"helios..." Chibi Moon whispered. He'd saved her, at his own risk. He'd given her enough time to DO something...but what? She had to find a way to sent Elysion more power, so that she wouldn't have just the golden crystal... but what had enough power to destroy Nehalania?!
"The Rainbow Planet Heart Bomb ALMOST did it...bu there is no way to send that to the past, and eight couts and their crystals aren't there in the past...We need to...SEND THE CRYSTALS TO THE PAST!!!!!!!' It was there right before her face...why didn't she see? Elysion could use all of the crystals, along with her own golden crystal...
No, that wouldn't work...each senshi could only use their own crystal, not the planet crystals...if only there were a way to combine the crystals into one..."HELIOS!!! HE LIVES!!!!!" screamed Nehalania in a rage, upon realizing that the second voice belonged to Helios... WHAT WERE TWO PARALIZED, HALF DEAD PEOPLE GOING TO DO TO SAVE THE WORLD THAT WAS ALREADY DOOMED?!
"SHOW YOURSELF HELIOS!!!!" Helios of course couldn't stand up, and he said nothing, so she didn't know he was behind the row of roses. It was too dark to see..."SHOW YOURSELF...OR I'LL DESTROY YOUR LITTLE FRIEND!!!!!!!"
Helios hesitated. 'NO, DON'T LET HER USE ME AGAINST YOU!!!'
'She's going to find me anyways...besides, you have to do something!! Do you have a plan?'
'Uh...well, I'm kinda...working on one. I'm trying to find a way to combine all of the planet crystals and your golden crystal into one...And send it to Elysion in the past...'
"HELIOS!!!!!" Nehalania thundered. "DON'T MAKE ME HUNT YOU DOWN TO KILL YOU!!!!"
"You have to find me to kill me, I'm not going to make it easy for you."
Nehalania pin pointed the voice and smiled. "You thought you could hide from me, Bearer Of The Golden Crystal? You cannot!!"
"Helios," Chibi Moon managed to squeak.
Nehalania walked calmly over. "Give me the golden crystal and I might let you live."
"Never." His voice was strained, but held fierce pride; Helios would die before he gave up the golden crystal again. Chibi Moon was terrified for him. She had to be strong, right when she felt like crying.
"Play that way if you want. I have my ways of making you see..."
Helios's eyes spore louder than his lips as he repeated, "I will NEVER give you the golden crystal!!!"
Angrily, Nehalania pulled him to his feet, by grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him up. Her bit his lip to hold back a moan of pain. Probably half the bones in his body were broken. Like Nehalania cared. Her eyes glowed pracitically red as she pulled him close and screamed in his face, "The golden crystal of light and dreams!! Where is it?! IT SHALL BE MINE!!!!"
"HELIOS!!!" Princess Lady Serenity yelled. Princess Lady Serenity? She looked down. Her clothes!! They...detransformed without her wanting to...Was she losing the power of the Pink Moon Crystal?! She couldn't transform? But...when she detransformed...she was always fully healed!!!!!She tried to move and did so easily. She was healed!!!! For one, reason. To save Helios and to send Elysion more power in the past. She sat up slowly, so Helios would see but Nehalania wouldn't.
Then she realized. This was her dream!!! Well...this time it was real, but still, it was EXACTLY like the nightmare she'd been having...
(In her dream/vision)
Darkness. The first thing Princess Lady Serenity was aware of was the total, complete darkness all around her. Consuming the pure light was the darkness. The darkness was evil...
"Where did the moon go?" she tried to ask, but her voice wouldn't work. Then she saw... the source of the darkness...
Princess Lady Serenity could see the silhouette of a woman. Her hair was black. Her eyes shone an evil red color. And on her forehead was the mark that Princess Lady Serenity, no Super Sailor Chibi Moon, knew all to well. The three dark, upside down crescent moons, symbol of the Queen of the Dead Moon, Queen Nehalania.
She tried to scream, but she could make no noise. The silhouette turned into the dark queen herself, and Princess Lady Serenity could see she was right. Queen Nehalania was standing there.
Her voice returned in a rush and she cried, "Queen Nehalania! I sealed you away! In the mirror before I was born! You're gone! What are you doing here in the palace of light, the Crystal Palace?"
Queen Nehalania ignored the princess's questions. She was absorbed in something she held clutched in her hand. "The Golden Crystal of light and dreams! WHERE IS IT?! IT SHALL BE MINE!!!" Her voice was as icy cold as Princess Lady Serenity remembered it. Then she saw who the queen was yelling at.
"HELIOS!"
"HELIOS!"
At the same moment, one other voice yelled the name. Someone with seemingly the same voice as Princess Lady Serenity called out in pain and fear. She turned to see who would call out to Helios with her voice at the same time as her. And saw no one.
"The chosen maiden! Princess... only when she is released will this world be safe! Find her!"
"HELIOS!"
"HELIOS!"
Only...Elysion...wasn't there. The second voice never joined hers...BECAUSE SHE WAS IN THE PAST PREVENTING THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!! AND PRINCESS LADY SERENITY HAD TO HELP HER!!!!!!
She had to combine the senshi's crystal with her own and Helios's so that they formed a crystal that she could send to Elysion in the past, to use against Nehalania and stop her from killing everyone!!!
Helios's eyes opened wide as Princess Lady Serenity stood up, all better. 'SERENITY!!!'
'HELIOS!!! ALOW ME TO TAKE THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL-I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!!'
'YES!!!'
The golden horn on Helios's head suddenly started shining-the golden crystal was about to appear!! Nehalania smiled evilly. "So you finally saw that you have no choice but to give in. My will is all."
Helios bowed his head as if submitting-but Princess Lady Serenity could sense his feelings and knew he was pretending to buy more time. But she didn't need any more time. She knew that she wouldn't know exactly what to say until the moment she said it...
"WRONG NEHALANIA!!!!!" she shouted in pure defiance, her eyes shining a brilliant crimson. The crescent moon ever present on her forehead began to shine as well-her power was about to be use.
"WHAT!!!! YOU WERE PARALIZED!!!! YOU WERE TRANSFORMED!!!! YOU WERE DEAD, HOW CAN YOU STAND AND FIGHT!!!! YOU WON'T WIN!!!!"
Princess Lady Serenity smiled this time. "No, I won't win. But I will never give up, I'll fight you to the last and even when you kill me and destroy my world of light and dreams, a small part of me win continue to fight for dreams throught time and space and some day fufill my reason for being alive-someday some how, you're going down, I swear it!!!!"
Nehalania was slightly impressed with the speech but she didn't show it. "DON'T MAKE ME KILL BOTH OF YOU WHEN THIS ANOYING LITTLE BOY GIVES THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL TO IT'S RIGHTFUL OWNER!!!" She hoisted Helios even higher, off the ground. He couldn't help the scream of agony that escaped his clenched teeth.
"WRONG AGAIN!!! HE'S NOT GIVING THE GOLDEN CRYSTAL TO YOU-HELIOS IS BESTOWING THE CRYSTAL UPON ME!!!!"
Then, Princess Lady Serenity called, automatically knowing the phrase to say though she'd never learned it,

"STARLIGHT DREAM CRYSTAL FORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Golden Crystal sliped out of Helios's body, heading for Princess Lasy Serenity. Nehalania dropped him immediately and lunged for it, but her fingers went right through it. Helios droped to the ground with a hollow thud. Dead.
Tears clouded Princess Lady Serenity's vision. What had she done? Helios was dead!!! This had better work... It was their whole world's last hope. The Silver Moon Crystal, the Mercury Crystal, the Mars Crystal, the Jupiter Crystal, the Venus Crystal, the Uranus crystal, the Neptune crystal, the Pluto Crystal, the Saturn Crystal, the Juno Crystal, the Vesta Crystal, the Pallas Crystal, the Ceres Crystal-all left the dead bodies of their owner and flew almost sadly to Princess Lady Serenity. It was almost as if they knew that the princesses were dead and the world was doomed-the only time they would be called away from their owner was if there were no other choice-they must dudyfully combine to fight on.
And the Pink Moon Crystal slipped out of the locket Princess Lady Serenity wore, she felt it go and there was a brief tingling sensation, it wasn't painful, but not exactly pleasant either... Princess Lady Serenity KNEW that if she were ever separated from the crystal she would die. She was still holding it, but the instant she sent it back in time, she would die.
The fourteen planet crystals and the golden crystal floated together and when they met less than a foot in front of Princess Lady Serenity, they combined with an earth-shaking explosion of brilliant, yet some how incredibly sad, rainbow planet light.
With out meaning to, Princess Lady Serenity began to chant, "For dreams, for light, for life, for our world and for love. Because it is the last resort. Because we will never let our dreams go, nor those of the dreamers of earth. And because our love is greater than any evil, we set aside our lives to gamble on an infant's power, to provide her with the one chance to save everything."
Then, wiping away her tear's, she looked up. There, glowing with power, floated a large clear crystal. Not silvery clear, like Super sailor Moon's crystal, a clear color that represented pure love and dreams. It spun a little as it floated there. The Starlight Dream Crystal.
Solemly, Princess Lady Serenity said, "Nehalania, you will never turn our world into a dark desolate place of evil. We'll sneak up on you from behind when you least expect it. Some day, some how. You will be stopped and the dreams of Earth's peacefully dreaming children will be safe, I swear it!!!"
Nehalania lunged for the newly formed crystal, but again her hand went through it. 'It is time.' Princess Lady Serenity's hand shook a little as she reached out and took the Starlight Dream Crystal. She closed her eyes, oblivious to Nehalania's anger (which was rising by the second.) Somehow, she used her will alone to make the crystal become strangely opaque, see through almost. Like an illusion. Illusion...This was no illusion, this was real. She was going to die, and the only hope in the universe would fly to the past with the crystal in her hands.
So, she took the time to realize: she had no regrets. Because she had no choice: this was destiny. Then she smiled a little. Maybe someday, if Elysion succeeded, she'd see her beautiful daughter again...And her kind, handsome prince, the first and only love she'd ever know... She'd see them again if Elysion could carry on... And the Starlight Dream Crystal, along with the only hope for the entire universe, disappeared the rest of the way.
***
That's it! The end of book 2!! Was it too sad? I didn't mean it to be that sad, but, in the end it just kinda came out, I wasn't really writing... Anyways, did you like it? I hope so! It took a while, but not as long as the first one. Was it as boring as the last one? I only got, like, three reviews (weep) but most of them said it was kinda long (I can't shorten it, I just write
long stories, sorry!!) and a little boring...
I really hope more people read this one, and like it!! Thanx a lot to anyone who DOES read this far-email me!! I would LOVE a few tips (weep!) and if you have a good fic, PLEASE send it, or tell me the name in your review. I like any kind of Sailor moon or actually any kind of Amine/Manga fic, mostly romance. But, I'll read anything once!!
Also, I put a preview of a story after the last one (book 1) and NO ONE told me if I should finish writing it. It was about how the imperium silver moon crystal 'died' and stuff...it was kinda...weird? I'll spare you guys this time!! PLEASE PLEAS PLEASE review and SEND ME YOUR FICS, I love 'em!! Feedback:
PrincessCrystalSelene@sailormoon.com
Thanx again!!!
~PrincessCrystalSelene~
~*:)*~










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